October 11 – Turkey’s Samsunspor have been handed a transfer ban by FIFA covering the next two transfer windows for non-payment due of wages and bonuses to former player Arvydas Novikovas.
The ban will be in effect for the 2023/24 winter transfer window and the 2024/25 summer transfer window.
Samsunspor responded to the FIFA sanction saying it was illegal and will appeal it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The Turkish club says all sums due to the Lithuanian footballer were paid on time after a mutual agreement. Samsunspor said Novikovas’ representatives had failed to inform FIFA that the payments had been made.
“Despite our mutual agreement and paying the full amount to the other party within the commitment period, FIFA decided against us and rejected our application with bad faith and imposed a transfer ban on our club for two periods. Regarding the correction of the relevant wrong decision, our legal initiatives were initiated before CAS at the beginning of August, and Switzerland.
“All legal studies are being carried out diligently by our FIFA and CAS lawyers in Turkey to lift the relevant transfer ban. Many precedent decisions regarding the removal of unfair penalties by CAS are being evaluated by our lawyers and it seems that they have resulted in the clubs’ favor. We have full faith that the decision to be taken by the end of December 2023 will result in our favor. Our club will continue to inform the public about the entire process”, said a club statement.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1734915663labto1734915663ofdlr1734915663owedi1734915663sni@o1734915663fni1734915663