FIFPRO welcomes the awards by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to uphold the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber’s (FIFA DRC) ruling in two cases involving Ivorian players against DR Congo club TP Mazembe.
Both players signed an employment contract for five years in January 2021 and upon their arrival, they immediately experienced a reduction of their salary – a decision made unilaterally by the club.
In July 2021, TP Mazembe requested the players sign a termination of the employment contract, written in abusive terms. Both players refused to sign.
In various communications, the players requested the five-time African champions to abide by its contractual obligations. The club did not comply.
CAS rejected the appeals of TP Mazembe and, in line with the FIFA DRC findings, ruled that they breached both players’ employment contracts.
The decisions serve as a reminder that football clubs must respect players’ fundamental rights as workers, and that a club’s unilateral decision to reduce players’ salary based on number of appearances is invalid, whether said decision is based on a contractual disposition or not.
