Leite Nascimento

Decisionofthe DisputeResolutionChamber passedon12October2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningtheplayerMatheusLeiteNascimento BY: CliffordJ.Hendel(USA/France),DeputyChairpersonAlejandroAtilioTaraborrelli(Argentina/Italy),memberMicheleColucci(Italy),member CLAIMANT: MatheusLeiteNascimento,Brazil RepresentedbyJoséMiguelSampaioeNora RESPONDENT: ZhejiangProfessionalFC,ChinaPR I.Factsofthecase 1.On7April2022,theBrazilianplayerMatheusLeiteNascimento(hereinaftertheClaimantorthePlayer)andtheChineseclubZhejiangProfessional(hereinaftertheRespondentortheClub)concludedemploymentagreement(hereinaftertheEmploymentAgreement),validasfrom1March2022until31December2022. 2.InaccordancewithTMS,theseason2022ranasfollows:1February–31December2022. 3.InaccordancewithClause3oftheEmploymentAgreement,theClaimantandtheRespondent(jointlyreferredtoastheParties)agreeduponthefollowingbonuspayment: (…)IfPartyAfinishestop6positioninChineseSuperLeagueattheendofSeason2022andPartyBparticipatesinmorethan70%ofPartyAs'ChineseSuperLeaguematchesinSeason2022,thenPartyAshallpayPartyBEUR€100,000net(EUR€175,000beforetax)asbonus.Forpurposeofthisclause,"participates"shallrefertoanyChineseSuperLeaguematchPartyBplaysatleast1minute.(…)ThetimeforpaymentisthelastdayofnextmonthfollowingtheendofSeason2022.” 4.Inaccordancewiththeemploymentcontract,Duringtheseason2022,theClaimantparticipatedin23outof34officialmatchesfortheRespondent. 5.On23December2022,theRespondentwassupposedtoplayagainstTianjinJinmenTiger,yetthelattermissedthegame.Inthisrespect,despitenoplayedtime,theRespondentwasawardedawin. 6.Attheendoftheseason2022,theRespondentwasplacedintopthree(3rdplace)intheChineseSuperLeague. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 7.On23August2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 8.TherequestsforreliefoftheClaimant,asamended,werethefollowing: “a)ConsidertheClubZhejiangProfessionalFCguiltyofthenon-paymentofoverduepayablestothePlayerMatheusLeiteNascimento(Annex2); and b)InconsequenceofthatordertheClubZhejiangProfessionalFC(China)topayimmediatelythePlayertheamountofEUR245.000regardingbonusagreedforthe2022season(Annex2); and c)InconsequencealsoorderZhejiangProfessionalFC(China)topaythePlayeraninterestrateof5%oftheamountreferredaboveinb)andd)fromthedateofdue,specifically31stDecember2022,tillthedateofeffectivepaymentregardingtotheperiodafterthepurposeofthisclaim. and d)Imposethesanctionsmentionedinnumber4oftheArticle12Bisofthe“FIFARegulationsontheStatusandTransferofPlayers(March2023Edition)”duetothedamagessaidbeforecausedbythenon-paymentbyZhejiangProfessionalFC(China)tothePlayerMatheusLeiteNascimentooftheamountsagreedbetweenthepartiesintheEmploymentContractforProfessionalFootballPlayer; and e)OrderthatZhejiangProfessionalFC(China)bearswithanyandalllegalcostsincurredbytheplayerMatheusLeiteNascimento.” 9.TheClaimantarguedthatduetothefactthatheparticipatedin70.58%oftheofficialmatchesandtheRespondentachieved3rdpositionintheChineseSuperLeague,heisentitledtobonusinaccordancewithClause3oftheEmploymentAgreement, i.e.EUR175,000. 10.Regardingtheparticipationinmorethan70%ofthematches,theClaimantarguedthathe“playedin23gamesof34available”.Furthermore,headdedthat“wascalledupforthegameof32ndroundoftheChampionshipagainstTianjinJinmenTiger,andgiventhesuspensionoftheBrazilianplayerLucas,hewas,forsure,intheline-upgiventhatwasonlyfiveforeignplayeravailableandthemaximumadmissibleisalsofiveforeignplayer”,“howevertheopponentteam,TianjinJinmenTiger,missedthegameand,consequently,theRespondentwon3pointsforthisvictory,thenthisgamemustconsideredasgameplayedfortheeffectsofthebonusagreedinthearticle3,n.º3oftheEmploymentContractforProfessionalFootballPlayer”. 11.Finally,theClaimantassertedthat“inthefinaloftheChineseSuperLeague,theRespondentrepresentativesgiventheexcellentbehaviouroftheteamduring2022sportingseasonalsopromisedanextrabonusof€70.000,foreachplayer,iftheRespondentClubendtheseason2022,atleast,in3rdplace.” 12.Inviewoftheabove,theClaimantadditionallyrequestedtheamountofEUR70,000. b.PositionoftheRespondent 13.Despitebeinginvitedtodoso,theRespondentfailedtoreplytotheclaim. III.ConsiderationsoftheDisputeResolutionChamber a.Competenceandapplicablelegalframework 14.Firstofall,theDisputeResolutionChamber(hereinafteralsoreferredtoasChamberorDRC)analysedwhetheritwascompetenttodealwiththecaseathand.Inthisrespect,ittooknotethatthepresentmatterwaspresentedtoFIFAon23August2023andsubmittedfordecisionon12October2023.Takingintoaccountthewordingofart.34oftheMarch2023editionoftheProceduralRulesGoverningtheFootballTribunal(hereinaftertheProceduralRules),theaforementionededitionoftheProceduralRulesisapplicabletothematterathand. 15.Subsequently,themembersoftheChamberreferredtoart.2par.1oftheProceduralRulesandobservedthatinaccordancewithart.23par.1incombinationwithart.22lit.b)oftheRegulationsontheStatusandTransferofPlayersMay2023edition),theDisputeResolutionChamberiscompetenttodealwiththematteratstake,whichconcernsa