Sierra Pando

Decisionofthe Players’StatusChamber passedon14October2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningthecoachJoseLuisSierraPando BY: JavierVijandePenas,Argentina CLAIMANT: JoseLuisSierraPando,Chile RepresentedbySalvatoreCivale RESPONDENT: AlWehdah,SaudiArabia RepresentedbyGlobalSportConsulting I.Factsofthecase Theparties 1.On13October2022,thefollowingpersonsenteredintoanemploymentcontractvalidasfrom“thedateofTechnicalStaff’sarrivaltoSaudiArabianandtheirworkcommencementattheclub’sheadquartersandendson30/06/2023”(hereinafter:theEmploymentContract): Ononeside: theSaudiclub,AlWehdah(hereinafter:theRespondentortheclub). Ontheotherside: theChileanheadcoach,MrJoseLuisSierraPando(hereinafter:theClaimantor theHeadCoach); theSpanishassistantcoach,MrJoseLuisSanchezMoretti; theChileanfitnesscoach,MrMarceloJavierCanessaSoto; theChileangoalkeepercoach,MrEduardoErickAzargado;and theSpanishtranslator,MrMohammedAbu-DayyaGarcia. 2.Nonetheless,onlytheHeadCoachandtheclubarepartiestothedisputeathand. ThecontentsoftheEmploymentContract 3.Articles4to6oftheEmploymentContractreadasfollows: “ArticleFour:ValueoftheContract a)Thetotalcontractvalueis900.000USDnet(ninehundredthousandUSDollarsnet)thatshallbedistributedasmonthlysalarieswithasumamountingto100.000USDnet(onehundredthousandUSDnet)tobepaidattheendofeachmonththroughoutthetermcontract. b)ThepaymentwillmetransferredtothebankaccountoftheHeadCoachwhoisresponsibletopayeachoneofhistechnicalstaff. Forsakeofclaritythecontractualvalueof900.000USDnetrepresentstheentiresalariesofallthetechnicalstaffabove-mentionedaspartiesinthecontract. ArticleFive:Bonuses a)HeadCoach’sBonus -Leaguematchesbonusshallbedeterminedinaccordancewiththeclub’sinternalregulations. -100.000USDnet(onehundredthousandUSDnet)ifhefinishesinoneofthefirstfifthpositionsoftheleague. -150.000USDnet(onehundredandfiftythousandUSDnet)ifhewinstheKing’sCup. b)Bonusoftherestofthemembersofthetechnicalstaff: -Leaguematchesbonus,positionbonusandKingCupbonusshallbedeterminedinaccordancewiththeclub’sinternalregulations. ArticleSix:First’sparty’sobligations Accommodation: [Theclub]shallprovidetheTechnicalStaffduringtheperiodofthecontractanappropriateapartment. Transportation: [Theclub]shallprovidetheTechnicalStaffduringtheperiodofthecontractanadequatevehicle. Tickets: a)[Theclub]shallbeartoprovidetworoundbusinessclassticketstotheHeadCoach,theAssistantCoach,theFitnessCoachandtheGoalkeepers’Coachandoneroundeconomyclassticketfortheirfamilies(wivesandchildren)intheseason. b)[Theclub]shallbeartoprovidetworoundeconomyclassticketstotheTranslatorandtheVideoAnalystandoneroundeconomyclassticketfortheirfamilies(wivesandchildren)intheseason. Weekends: TheTechnicalStaffareentitledwithonedayweeklyvacationdeterminedupontheagreementwithallpartiesandinaccordancewithworkbenefits.” Thecorrespondencesexchangedbetweentheparties 4.On19June2023,theclubforwardedtheHeadCoachadraftofapaymentschedule,whichwashowevernotsigned.Accordingly,theclubwouldpaytheHeadCoach:(i)SAR1,500,000asmonthlysalaries;(ii)SAR25,000asthedeductionofNovember’ssalary;(iii)SAR390,000asmatchbonus;and(iv)SAR40,100asreimbursementofflighttickets. 5.On22August2023,theHeadCoachputtheclubindefaultforpaymentofthefollowingamountswithinthefollowing10days: USD400,000asthesalariesfromMarchtoJune2023; SAR390,000asmatchbonus;and SAR40,100asflighttickets. 6.On24August2023,theclubpaidUSD100,000totheHeadCoach. 7.On21October2023,theHeadCoachputtheclubindefaultforthesecondtimeandgranteditanadditional10days’deadlineforthebreachtobecured. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 8.On13September2023,theHeadCoachfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheHeadCoach 9.Inhisclaim,theHeadCoachallegedthattheclubhasfailedtocomplywithitsfinancialdutiesundertheEmploymentContract.Inparticular,theHeadCoachreferredtoart.12bisoftheFIFARegulationsontheStatusandTransferofPlayers(RSTP)andrequestedtobeawardedthefollowingamounts: a.USD100,000netplus5%interestp.a.asfrom1May2023; b.USD100,000netplus5%interestp.a.asfrom1June2023; c.USD100,000netplus5%interestp.a.asfrom1July2023; d.“interestsatrateof5%peryearforthedelayedpaymentofmonthlysalaryofMarch2023whichwasdueon31March2023andwasonlypaidon24August2023, calculatedon146days(x13,70USD)fortheamountofUSD2,000.20”; e.SAR390,000asmatchbonus;and f.SAR40,100asflightticketsrefund. 10.Specifically,regardingthematchbonus,theHeadCoachexplainedthatthedebtwasacknowledgedbytheclubviapaymentschedule.Nevertheless,healsoacknowledgedthatsuchdocumentwasneversignedinsofarasthepartiescouldnotreachanamicablesolutiontothecase. b.Positionoftheclub 11.On30September2023,theclubfileditsreplytotheclaimandmadeinteraliathefollowingremarksregardingtheconceptssoughtbytheHeadCoach: SalariesfromApriltoJune2023:theclubacknowledgesthatthesalarieswerependingandoverdueand“apologizesforthatfailureduetosomefinancialdifficultiesassociatedtotheelectionofanewboardandtheappointmentofanewexecutiveadministration”; Bonuses:theclu