CAS upholds FIFA ban on Spezia Calcio over Nigerian players

Admin l Saturday, June 11, 2022

 

LAUSANNE – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has partially upheld appeal filed by Spezia Calcio SRL (the Club) against the FIFA decision banning it from registering new male players, both on the national and international level, for four entire and consecutive registration periods and a fine of CHF 500’000.

The sanction had been imposed as a result of various violations of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players in relation to the transfer of minor players from Nigeria by the club.

Disciplinary proceedings against the club were initiated in April 2021, after various investigations by the Italian police and by the Italian football authorities.

The CAS Panel in charge of this matter found the number of violations committed by the club to be much lower than the FIFA Disciplinary Committee had determined. As a consequence, the decision issued on 30 June 2021 by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee is amended as follows:

According to CAS , the club Spezia Calcio SRL is banned from registering new male players, both on the national and international level, for two entire and consecutive registration periods, of which one registration period is suspended for a probationary period of three years.

The club Spezia Calcio SRL is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of CHF 200’000. The club served the transfer ban during the first registration period in January 2022. The full award with reasons will be notified to the parties in a few weeks.