The former President of the Sports Arbitration Board in the Football Association, Dr. Yusef Al-Sharif, confirmed that no club has the right to resort to civil courts, in the event that a decision was issued by the Professional League and the Football Association to cancel the league, whether by declaring a champion of the competition or not.
Al Sharif told «Emirates Today» that any decisions issued regarding the future of the league will be “fortified” from a legal point of view and no sports party has the legal dispute over it, because the regulations governing the work of the Professional League and the Football Association are like a law that governs the work of individuals and entities under The umbrella of the League and the Federation.
He added: "The club will be (at risk) if it transfers its differences with the game authorities to civil courts, and may be subject to penalties from the local federation, according to the text of the second paragraph of Article 59 of the FIFA Statute, which prohibits asylum to the regular courts."
He continued: «(FIFA) urges clubs to respect the rules of local federations, which prevent the transfer of disputes relating to football to civil courts, and if a situation like this occurs the club will be subject to inevitable penalties.”
He explained: “Football cannot be organized, and FIFA and the local associations will not be present if every club or player resorted to a local court when he objects to final and binding decisions, as may happen in the event of an expected decision to cancel the league championship for fear of the risks of the Corona pandemic, Because the football entity will be vulnerable. ”
Al-Sharif continued by saying: “Civil courts never reject any cases brought before them by clubs or sports individuals, but decisions issued by those courts despite their obligation to the local union or the professional association, but they may expose the complainant to penalties, as I have already indicated in this. Connection ».
The International Football Association obligated the member federations in accordance with the third paragraph of Article 59 of the statute to include an explicit text in the basic systems that prohibits recourse to ordinary courts in the disputes concerning the federation in relation to disputes concerning the league, clubs, players, administrators and referees, and that these disputes should be presented in the form of Independent arbitration formed according to the regulations of the International Federation or the regulations of the continental federations and recognized or in the International Sports Arbitration Court (Cass) ».
FIFA indicated that Article 14, paragraph 1, of the FIFA Statute, in addition to Article 59, paragraph 3, obliges member unions to impose a penalty on any member who violates or violates these obligations.
Regarding the legality of sponsoring companies or channels that carry league matches by claiming compensation in the event of the cancellation of the league, Dr. Youssef Al-Sharif said: “In such a case, things are different. It is the right of such companies to resort to civil courts, because they are essentially economic entities and are not subject to any powers of the Federation The local or the International Federation, and the courts settle this dispute according to the reasons that prevented the completion of the competition.
Several clubs in the Arab Gulf Football League are asking not to complete the season in August.
Club officials attributed the refusal to complete the season to the high financial cost it will incur as a result of extending the contracts of its players that expire in May or June, and the difficulty of preparing outside the country due to the flight ban imposed due to the Corona pandemic.
The Association of Professionals had issued a statement earlier confirming that it was following up with the relevant authorities in the state the latest health developments related to the emerging Corona epidemic, and the efforts made to protect and protect all members of society.
The statement continued: “After assessing the situation with these parties, the Professional League, in coordination with the Emirates Football Association, decided to return its competitions in the coming month of August, in principle, with a permanent and continuous evaluation of the situation with the competent authorities and the International and Asian Football Confederations and taking into consideration the health situation at that time ».
The statement pointed out: "The League of Professionals will determine the regulations and mechanism of decisions for its competitions at a later time and in a sufficient period to allow the clubs to prepare for them best."
The club will be in "danger" if it transfers its differences with the game authorities to civil courts.
The civil courts do not reject any cases brought up by clubs or sports personnel.
Sponsoring companies or channels that transmit league matches have the right to claim compensation, because they are economic entities and are not subject to local or international federations.