The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upholds the appeals of Saman Ghoddos and Östersunds FK: the sanctions are maintained but the EUR 4 million compensation is cancelled
Media Release
Lausanne, 10 November 2020
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the appeal arbitration procedures filed by the player Saman Ghoddos and Östersunds FK Elitfotboll AB (Östersunds) against the decision rendered by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber dated 14 June 2019 (the Challenged Decision). In such decision, Saman Ghoddos was found to have unilaterally terminated his employment contract with SD Huesca and ordered, together with Östersunds, to jointly and severally pay compensation of EUR 4 million to SD Huesca. In addition, a four-month period of ineligibility was imposed on Saman Ghoddos, and Östersunds was banned from registering any new players either nationally or internationally for two entire and consecutive registration periods.
The CAS Panel in charge of this matter partially upheld the appeals. While it found, in agreement with the challenged decision, that Saman Ghoddos had breached the employment contract without just cause during the so-called protected period and that Östersunds had induced such breach, it found that no compensation was due for such breach considering that SD Huesca did not prove that it suffered any damages from the Player’s breach of the contract. Accordingly, it set aside the order contained in the Challenged Decision that Saman Ghoddos and Östersunds were jointly and severally liable to pay compensation of EUR 4 million to SD Huesca.
The four-month period of ineligibility imposed on Saman Ghoddos (which has already been served by the player) was confirmed by the CAS Panel, as well as the ban on Östersunds from registering any new players either nationally or internationally for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods; accordingly, Östersunds must serve that ban in the next two full registration periods.
