A Review of the Emiliano Sala Decision
Sports Law/ Dispute Resolution 17th February 2020 Olukolade Ehinmosan1 A REVIEW OF THE EMILIANO SALA DECISION Background The January 2019 Summer Transfer Window was an exciting beehive of European football transfer activity. Arguably the most notable transfer of the Window, FC Nantes Centre Forward Emiliano Raul Sala sealed his move to then English Premier League outfit, Cardiff City. Sala expressed elation and even dubbed the transfer a “dream move.”2 The atmosphere soon became sour with the tragic demise of Sala in a devastating plane crash while travelling from France to team up with his new club, Cardiff City FC. Within a few days of the incident, searches and investigations ensued, including an investigation by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB), as the plane had gone missing. On its part, FC Nantes lodged a complaint against Cardiff City before the FIFA Bureau of the Players’ Status Committee (PSC). The complaint ripened into a full-blown dispute which we have endeavoured to review below. FC Nantes, France vs. Cardiff City FC, Wales The Bureau comprising a four-man panel sat and passed a decision in Zurich, Switzerland on 25 September 2019.3 1 Olukolade Ehinmosan, Associate Dispute Resolution Department, SPA Ajibade & Co., Lagos, NIGERIA. 2 See <https://www.sportbible.com/football/news-sala-was-just-about-to-fulfill-his-dream-of-playing- in-the-prem-20190123> accessed February 11, 2020 at 9:28 am. 3 See <https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/player-emiliano- sala.pdf?cloudid=zz1mucunt6ydvrzqrqdw> accessed February 11, 2020 at 9:28 am. Summary of the Facts The claim involved a contractual dispute between the two football clubs (Nantes and Cardiff City) on the transfer of the late Emiliano Raul Sala.
[Show full text]