Silva Santos

Decisionofthe DisputeResolutionChamber passedon11October2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningtheplayerJefersonSilvaSantos BY: PhilippeDiallo(France) CLAIMANT: JefersonSilvaSantos,Brazil RepresentedbyBrenoCostaRamosTannuri RESPONDENT: SanateMesRafsanjan,Iran I.Factsofthecase 1.On3August2022,theBrazilianplayerJefersonSilvaSantos(hereinafter:theClaimantorthePlayer)andtheIranianclubSanateMesRafsanjan(hereinafter:theRespondentortheClub)concludedanemploymentcontract(hereinafter:theContract)valid“untiltheendofseason2022-2023ofIranianprofessionalleague.” 2.Art.4oftheContractreadsinteraliaasfollows: ThetotalvalueofthiscontractforoneSeason(2022-2023)isamountof150,000USDnet(OnehundredandseventyThousandUSD)and(thetaxofthiscontractwillbepaidbytheclub) Theamountof20,000USD(twentythousandUSD)inthecaseofheadcoachessatisfactionofhisperformance. 3.Art.16oftheContractreadsinteraliaasfollows: “30%ofthecontract,equaltotheamountof………..USD(USD)willbepaidtotheplayerby thestartofseason. 10%ofthecontract,equaltotheamountof………..USD(USD)willbepaidtotheplayerby theendof10thweekoftheseason. 10%ofthecontract,equaltotheamountof………..USD(USD)willbepaidtotheplayerby theendofsemi-season. 15%ofthecontract,equaltotheamountof………..USD(USD)willbepaidtotheplayerby theendof22edweekoftheseason. 15%ofthecontract,equaltotheamountof………..USD(USD)willbepaidtotheplayerby theendoftheseason. 20%ofthecontract,equaltotheamountof………..USD(USD)willbepaidtotheplayerby theendofthecontract,regardinghisexcellenceofperformanceandgoodwill.” II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 4.On23August2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 5.AccordingtotheClamanton18May2023,theClubplayeditslastmatchforthe2022-2023sportingseason. 6.TheClaimantstatesthattheRespondenthasfailedtopayhimanoutstandingsalaryamountingtoUSD6,000. 7.TheClaimantalsoallegesthat“althoughtheheadcoachprovidedanexpresswrittenstatementconfirminghissatisfactionregardingtheperformanceofthePlayer,theClubfailedtopaytothePlayer theamountofUSD20,000Net” 8.TheClaimantfiledthefollowingrequestsforrelief: FIRST–ToupholdtheclaimfiledbythePlayer; SECOND–ToordertheClubtopaythePlayerUSD6,000(SixthousandUSDollars)correspondingtooutstandingsalaries,plusdefaultinterestattherateof5%perannumasfrom19May2023untilthedateofeffectivepayment; THIRD-ToordertheClubtopaythePlayerUSD20,000(twentythousandUSDollars)correspondingtotheoutstandingindividualperformancebonus,plusdefaultinterestattherateof5%perannumasfrom19May2023untilthedateofeffectivepayment;and FOURTH–ToopentheproceedingsregardingthepresentdisputeandnotifytheClubimmediately(cf.Art.21,par.1oftheFIFAProceduralRules). b.PositionoftheRespondent 9.Despitebeinginvitedtofileitsposition,theRespondentdidnotreplytoFIFA. III.ConsiderationsoftheDisputeResolutionChamber a.Competenceandapplicablelegalframework 10.Firstofall,theSingleJudge(hereinafteralsoreferredtoasSingleJudge)analysedwhetherhewascompetenttodealwiththecaseathand.Inthisrespect,hetooknotethatthepresentmatterwaspresentedtoFIFAon23August2023andsubmittedfordecisionon11October2023.Takingintoaccountthewordingofart.34oftheMarch2023editionoftheProceduralRulesGoverningtheFootballTribunal(hereinafter:theProceduralRules),theaforementionededitionoftheProceduralRulesisapplicabletothematterathand. 11.Subsequently,theSingleJudgereferredtoart.2par.1andart.24par.1lit.a)oftheProceduralRulesandobservedthatinaccordancewithart.23par.1incombinationwithart.22par.1lit.b)oftheRegulationsontheStatusandTransferofPlayers(May2023),heiscompetenttodealwiththematteratstake,whichconcernsanemployment-relateddisputewithaninternationaldimensionbetweenaBrazilianplayerandanIranianclub. 12.Subsequently,theSingleJudgeanalysedwhichregulationsshouldbeapplicableastothesubstanceofthematter.Inthisrespect,heconfirmedthat,inaccordancewithart.26par.1and2oftheRegulationsontheStatusandTransferofPlayers(May2023edition)andconsideringthatthepresentclaimwaslodgedon23August2023,theMay2023editionofsaidregulations(hereinafter:theRegulations)isapplicabletothematterathandastothesubstance. b.Burdenofproof 13.TheSingleJudgerecalledthebasicprincipleofburdenofproof,asstipulatedinart.13par.5oftheProceduralRules,accordingtowhichapartyclaimingarightonthebasisofanallegedfactshallcarrytherespectiveburdenofproof. c.Meritsofthedispute 14.Hiscompetenceandtheapplicableregulationshavingbeenestablished,theSingleJudgeenteredintothemeritsofthedispute.Inthisrespect,theSingleJudgestartedbyacknowledgingalltheabove-mentionedfactsaswellastheargumentsandthedocumentationonfile.However,theSingleJudgeemphasisedthatinthefollowingconsiderationshewillreferonlytothefacts,argumentsanddocumentaryevidence,whichitconsideredpertinentfortheassessmentofthematterathand. i.Mainlegaldiscussionandconsiderations 15.Theforegoinghavingbeenestablished,theSingleJudgemovedtothesubstanceofthematterandtooknoteofthefactthattheClamantrequestsoutstandingremunerationandaperformancebonus. 16.TheSingleJudgeacknowledgedthatnocorrespond