Usor

Decisionofthe Players’StatusChamber passedon10October2023 regardingadisputeconcerningthetransferoftheplayerMosesUsor BY: ThulaganyoGaoshubelwe(SouthAfrica) SingleJudgeofthePlayers’StatusChamber CLAIMANT: 36LionFootballClub,Nigeria RepresentedbyJMPMAdvogados RESPONDENT: SKSlaviaPraha,CzechRepublic I.Factsofthecase 1.On31March2022,theNigerianclub36LionFootballClub(hereinafter:Claimant)andtheCzechclubSlaviaPrague(hereinafter:Respondent)concludedanagreement(hereinafter:TransferAgreement)regardingthedefinitivetransferoftheplayerMosesUsorfromtheClaimanttotheRespondent. 2.AccordingtotheTransferAgreement,theRespondentundertooktopaytheClaimantasellonfeeunderthefollowingconditions: “Inadditiontothetransferfeeandbonusfee,incaseofthefuturetransferoftheplayer’sregistrationfromSlaviatoanothernewclub,36Lionwillbeentitledtoreceive15%oftheamountsactuallyreceivedbySlaviainconnectionwiththetransferoftheplayertothisanotherclubexceedingtheamountspaidoralreadyduebySlaviato36Lion.” 3.18January2023,theplayerwasloanedoutbytheRespondenttoAustrianclubLASKLinz,withaneventualpurchaseobligation(hereinafter:theSell-OnAgreement),forthefollowingfinancialconsiderations: -EUR250,000asloantransferfeebynolaterthan15July2023; -EUR500,000asfixedtransferfeeinstalmentbynolaterthan15February2024; -EUR250,000asfixedtransferfeeinstalmentbynolaterthan15July2024; -EUR250,000asfixedtransferfeeinstalmentbynolaterthan15February2025; -EUR250,000asfixedtransferfeeinstalmentbynolaterthan15July2025; -EUR250,000asfixedtransferfeeinstalmentbynolaterthan15February2026 Allamountsoutlinedaboveasgross. 4.Furthermore,theSell-OnAgreementstipulatedasfollows: “Fortheavoidanceofanydoubt,allfeesstipulatedinthepresentarticleareinclusiveof,ifapplicable,trainingcompensationandsolidaritycontributionsasdefinedintheFIFARegulationsontheStatusandTransferofPlayers.LASKisresponsibleforthedistributionofthecorrespondingsolidaritycontributionstotherespectivetrainingclubs,inaccordancewiththeFIFARegulationsontheStatusandTransferofplayers.“ 5.Atanunspecifiedtime,theRespondentmadepaymentsof,intotal,EUR250,000pertainingtothetransferfeeundertheTransferAgreementconcludedwiththeClaimant. 6.On26July2023,theClaimantsenttheRespondentaninvoiceofEUR37,500,correspondingto15%ofthefirstinstalmentduetotheRespondentundertheSell-OnAgreementofEUR250,000. 7.On28July2023,theClaimantputtheRespondentindefaultofpaymentoftheamountofEUR37,500andgrantedadeadlineof10daystoremedytheallegedbreach. 8.On1August2023,theRespondentrepliedtosaidcorrespondence,arguingthatitdisagreedwiththecalculationoftheClaimant.Inthisrespect,theformerarguedthatwhilstitwasduetoreceiveEUR1,750,000aspartofthecompensationfortheplayerstransfertoLASK,ofwhichthefirstinstalmentwasEUR250,000asoutlinedabove,bothsolidarityintheamountofEUR70,000andamountspaidaspartoftheoriginaltransferagreement,intotalEUR250,000,mustbedeductedwhenmakingthepertinentcalculationof15%.Thus,accordingtotheRespondent,theamountpayableby15July2023wasonlyEUR30,643. 9.On4August2023,theClaimantrepliedtotheRespondent,insistingontheamountofEUR37,500.Afurtherdeadlineof10dayswasgranted. 10.On9August2023,theRespondentsentacorrespondencetotheClaimant,insistingonitsowncalculationofEUR30,643,statingthattheamount“actuallyreceived”aspartofthefirstinstalmentislessthanEUR250,000–i.e.theamountstipulatedintheSell-OnAgreement –thusimpactingthesellonfeeactuallydue. 11.Onthesameday,theClaimantreiteratedthecontentsofitspreviousdefaultnoticeandrequestedpaymentuntilthedeadlinegrantedtherein. 12.On21August2023,theRespondentmadeapaymentofEUR30,643. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 13.On21August2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 14.Initsclaim,theClaimantheldthatitisentitled,byvirtueoftheTransferAgreement,to15%ofanyamountsreceivedbytheRespondentasaresultofthesubsequenttransferoftheplayerfromtheRespondenttoathirdclub. 15.AccordingtotheClaimant,asthefirstinstalmenttheRespondentwasduetoreceiveaspartoftheSellOnAgreementamountedtoEUR250,000,theClaimantassertedthathewasentitledtoEUR37,500,i.e.15%thereof. 16.TheClaimantalsoemphasisedthattheterminology“amountsactuallyreceivedbythe RespondentexceedingtheamountspaidoralreadyduebySlaviato36Lion”couldunder nocircumstancesmeanthatanyamountspaidaspartoftheTransferAgreementmustbedeductedfromthecalculationofthesellonfee. 17.AccordingtotheClaimant,evenif(quodnon)theaboveclausewasnotclear,theRespondentwasallegedlytheonewhodraftedtheTransferAgreement,thusgivingrisetothedoctrineofindubiocontrastipulatorem. 18.TheClaimantthusrequestedEUR37,500,withnoaccompanyinginterest. b.PositionoftheRespondent 19.Initsreply,theRespondentarguedthattheClaimant’scalculationiserroneous,asitfailstotakeaccountofthefactthatthedistinction“amountsactuallyreceived(…)exceedingtheamountspaidoralreadydue”resultsindeductionsmadefromtheprincipalamountbaseduponwhichthesellonfeeisdetermined. 20.TheRespondentspecifiedthatithadalreadypaidtheClaimantafixedtransferfeeofEUR150,000,aswellastwobonusfeesof