Player Compensation For ‘Just Cause’ Contract Termination: Lessons From QPR v Boavista CAS Case
This article discusses a recent award published by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concerning persistent late payment of salaries by Portuguese club Boavista Futebol Clube (Boavista) to player Reginald Jacob Cannon (the Player), and whether such conduct entitled the Player to terminate his contract with just cause.
The case provides helpful guidance on the interplay between national collective bargaining agreements (between players and clubs/leagues) and FIFA's transfer regulations, the calculation of compensation following justified termination and a player’s duty to mitigate losses, and the limited impact of the Diarra (European Court of Justice) judgment on cases involving football players terminating their contract with just cause[1].
Please view the award here[2].
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- Tags: Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) | Dispute Resolution | FIFA | FIFA Regulation on Status and Transfer of Players (FIFA RSTP) | Football | Player Transfers | Portugal | United Kingdom (UK)
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Written by
Elena La Ficara
Elena is a trainee solicitor, who joined Lombardi Associates permanently in September 2025, following two summer internships with the team in 2023 and 2024. She obtained a Degree in Sports Law & Sports Business from UCFB in 2023 and, subsequently, a Masters in Law & Professional Practice from King’s College London in 2025. Elena is undertaking the SQE process in order to qualify as an English Solicitor.
A member of AIAS (the Italian Association of Sports Lawyers), Women In Sports Law and the Society of Writers to His Majesty’s Signet, Elena works with all of Lombardi Associates’ clients and across a full spectrum of matters ranging from contractual and compliance advice to dispute resolution and strategic advice.
Ian Laing
Legal Counsel at Lombardi Associates, Ian is a Scottish solicitor. At Lombardi he works on a variety of matters for clients ranging from transfer contracts, transfer negotiations and employment contracts to disciplinary matters before CAS, FIFA, UEFA, UK Anti-Doping and other regulatory and disciplinary bodies. In addition to this, recent work has involved advising both clubs and investors on investment into football clubs.
In addition to his work with Lombardi, Ian is a Council member of the Society of Writer's to His Majesty's Signet, a board member and trustee of Trefoil House, a charity providing grants to children with additional needs, and a non-executive board member with Dunfermline Athletic Football Club
