Labour Disputes
Texto da decisão
REF. FPSD-20291
Decision of the
Dispute Resolution Chamber
passed on 6 October 2025
regarding an employment-related dispute concerning the player Azizbek
Turgunboev
BY:
Stijn BOEYKENS (Belgium)
CLAIMANT:
Azizbek Turgunboev, Uzbekistan
Represented by Didem Sunna
RESPONDENT:
NET GLOBAL SIVASSPOR, Türkiye
pg. 2
REF. FPSD-20291
I. Facts of the case
1.
On 8 February 2024, the Uzbeki player, Azizbek Turgunboev (hereinafter: the Player or the
Claimant), and the Turkish club, Net Global Sivasspor (hereinafter: the Club or the
Respondent) entered into an employment contract (hereinafter: the Contract) valid as from
8 February 2024 until 30 June 2025.
2.
According to clause 3 of the Contract, the parties agreed that for the season 2024/2025 the
Player would be entitled to the total amount of EUR 300,000 payable as follows:
15.09.2024
15.10.2024
15.11.2024
15.12.2024
15.01.2025
15.02.2025
15.03.2025
15.04.2025
15.05.2025
25.06.2025
3.
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
EUR 30,000
On 7 May 2025, the parties signed a protocol (hereinafter: the Agreement) that stated the
following:
“Whereas the Parties previously signed the professional Football Player Contract with the
expiry date 30.06.2025, the Parties mutually drafted and signed the present Protocol to
determine the amount of receivables of the Player from the Club that became due and will
become due until 30.07.2025 to restructure by amending their due dates.
1. The Parties agree that the Player has receivables from the Club in the total amount
of 120,000 Euro, which consists of the outstanding receivables of the Player, as well as
those that will become due until 30.07.2025. The Player hereby accepts, declares, and
undertakes that he does not have any other receivables from the Club, that became due
and will become due until 30.07.2025, apart from the amount of 120,000 Euro as given
above, and that all other receivables were paid by the Club.
2. The Parties further agree that the receivables of the Player, that became due and will
become due until 30.07.2025, in the amount of 120,000 Euro, will be paid to the Player by
the Club on 30.07.2025.
3. Within the scope of the above, and his agreement for the new due date, the Player
undertakes not to put the Club in default before 30.07.2025.” (emphasis added)
pg. 3
REF. FPSD-20291
II. Proceedings before FIFA
4.
On 11 August 2025, the Claimant filed the claim at hand before FIFA. A summary of the
parties’ respective positions is detailed below.
a. Claim of the Claimant
5.
The Player lodged the present claim for overdue payables arising from the Contract. The
Player claimed that part of the amounts agreed upon in the Contract remained
outstanding.
6.
In particular, the Player requested the following relief:
“To condemn Sivasspor Kulübü to pay in favour of the Claimant the total unpaid and overdue
payment of Net EUR 150,000 along with the interest rate of 5% p.a. starting from the below
due dates until the date of effective payment:
-
Net EUR 30,000 along with its interest of 5% p.a. starting from 15 February 2025
until the date of effective payment,
-
Net EUR 30,000 along with its interest of 5% p.a. starting from 15 March 2025 until
the date of effective payment,
-
Net EUR 30,000 along with its interest of 5% p.a. starting from 15 April 2025 until
the date of effective payment,
-
Net EUR 30,000 along with its interest of 5% p.a. starting from 15 May 2025 until
the date of effective payment,
-
Net EUR 30,000 along with its interest of 5% p.a. starting from 15 June 2025 until
the date of effective payment.”
b. Reply of the Respondent
7.
In its reply, the Club stated that the parties signed the Agreement and therefore, “the
Player’s outstanding receivables and those that would become due until 30.07.2025 is 120,000
Euro and it should be paid on 30.07.2025.”
8.
In view of the above, the Club requested the DRC to reject the Claimant’s claim in its
entirety.
pg. 4
REF. FPSD-20291
c. Final comments of the Claimant
9.
In his final comments, the Player stated that the Agreement “was prepared to ensure the
Respondent successfully passes the Club License procedure. It was signed by the plaintiff in good
faith and the payment date was determined accordingly”.
10. In addition, the Player alleged that the last salary of the 2024/2025 season fell due on 15
June 2025, i.e. after the signature of the Agreement.
11. Therefore, the total amount of EUR 150,000 corresponded to EUR 120,000 of the
Agreement and EUR 30,000 of the salary that fell due on 15 June 2025.
12. In view of the above, the Player requested the following relief:
-
EUR 150,000 net plus 5% interest as from 30 July 2025 until the date of effective
payment.
III. Considerations of the Dispute Resolution Chamber
a. Competence and applicable legal framework
13. First of all, the Single Judge of the Dispute Resolution Chamber (hereinafter: the Single Judge)
analysed whether he was competent to deal with the case at hand. In this respect, he took
note that the present matter was presented to FIFA on 11 August 2025 and submitted for
decision on 6 October 2025. Taking into account the wording of arts. 31 and 34 of the
January 2025 edition of the Procedural Rules Governing the Football Tribunal (hereinafter:
the Procedural Rules), the aforementioned edition of the Procedural Rules is applicable to
the matter at hand.
14. Furthermore, the Single Judge referred to art. 2 par. 1 of the Procedural Rules and observed
that in accordance with art. 23 par. 1 in combination with art. 22 par. 1 lit. b) of the
Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (hereinafter: the Regulations) (July 2025
edition), the Single Judge is competent to deal with the matter at stake, which concerns an
employment-related dispute with an international dimension between an Uzbeki player
and a Turkish club.
15. Subsequently, the Single Judge analysed which regulations should be applicable as to the
substance of the matter. In this respect, he confirmed that, in accordance with art. 29 of
the Regulations, the July 2025 edition of the Regulations is applicable to the matter at hand
as to the substance.
pg. 5
REF. FPSD-20291
b. Burden of proof
16. The Single Judge recalled the basic principle of burden of proof, as stipulated in art. 13
par. 5 of the Procedural Rules, according to which a party claiming a right on the basis of
an alleged fact shall carry the respective burden of proof. Likewise, the Single Judge
stressed the wording of art. 13 par. 4 of the Procedural Rules, pursuant to which he may
consider evidence not filed by the parties, including without limitation the evidence
generated by or within the Transfer Matching System (TMS).
c. Merits of the dispute
17. Having established the competence and the applicable regulations, the Single Judge
entered into the merits of the dispute. In this respect, the Single Judge started by
acknowledging all the above-mentioned facts as well as the arguments and the
documentation on file. However, the Single Judge emphasised that in the following
considerations he will refer only to the facts, arguments and documentary evidence, which
he considered pertinent for assessing the matter at hand.
i. Main legal discussion and considerations
18. The Single Judge then moved to the substance of the matter, and took note of the fact that
the parties strongly dispute the amount that remained outstanding from the parties’
employment relationship.
19. In this context, the Single Judge acknowledged that his task was to determine which
amounts remained outstanding and the consequences thereof.
20. The Single Judge observed that the Player requested the total amount of EUR 150,000,
comprising EUR 120,000 under the Agreement and EUR 30,000 representing the final salary
due on 15 June 2025 under the Contract. In response, the Club alleged that it does not have
any outstanding amounts to the Player. However, it neither provided evidence nor offered
any explanation as to whether the amount in question had been paid.
21. The Single Judge further noted that the Player’s claim was based on entitlements arising
from both the Contract and the Agreement, asserting that the EUR 30,000 salary became
due after the Agreement was signed and should therefore be paid in addition to the EUR
120,000 stipulated therein. Nevertheless, the Single Judge emphasized that the wording of
the Agreement was unequivocal. It expressly stated that the amount of EUR 120,000
encompassed both outstanding salaries up to the date of signature and any amounts that
would become due until 30 July 2025.In particular, the Agreement stated that “the Player
has receivables from the Club in the total amount of 120,000 Euro, which consists of the
outstanding receivables of the Player, as well those that will become due until 30.07.2025.”
(emphasis added)
pg. 6
REF. FPSD-20291
22. Furthermore, the Single Judge noted that the Agreement does not specify which salaries
remained outstanding at the time of its signature. As a result, it cannot be established from
the Agreement whether the Player waived any past or future salary entitlements. In this
regard and in the absence of any allegation that past salaries were waived, the Single Judge
concluded that the Player has not waived such entitlements.
23. In addition, the Single Judge observed that no allegations of duress were raised, and the
authenticity of the Player's signature on the Agreement has not been contested.
24. In light of the foregoing, and considering the clear wording of the Agreement (“salaries […]
that became due and will become due until 30.07.3035”), the Single Judge decided to award
the Player the amount of EUR 120,000 arising from the Agreement.
25. Finally, taking into consideration the Claimant’s request as well as the constant practice of
the Football Tribunal in this regard, the Single Judge decided to award the Claimant interest
at the rate of 5% p.a. on the outstanding amounts as from 1 August 2025 until the date of
effective payment.
ii. Compliance with monetary decisions
26. Finally, taking into account the applicable Regulations, the Single Judge referred to art. 24
par. 1 and 2 of the Regulations, which stipulate that, with its decision, the pertinent FIFA
deciding body shall also rule on the consequences deriving from the failure of the
concerned party to pay the relevant amounts of outstanding remuneration and/or
compensation in due time.
27. In this regard, the Single Judge highlighted that, against clubs, the consequence of the
failure to pay the relevant amounts in due time shall consist of a ban from registering any
new players, either nationally or internationally, up until the due amounts are paid. The
overall maximum duration of the registration ban shall be of up to three entire and
consecutive registration periods.
28. Therefore, bearing in mind the above, the Single Judge decided that the Respondent must
pay the full amount due (including all applicable interest) to the Claimant within 45 days of
notification of the decision, failing which, at the request of the Claimant, a ban from
registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the maximum duration
of three entire and consecutive registration periods shall become immediately effective on
the Respondent in accordance with art. 24 par. 2, 4, and 7 of the Regulations.
29. The Respondent shall make full payment (including all applicable interest) to the bank
account provided by the Claimant in the Bank Account Registration Form, which is attached
to the present decision.
pg. 7
REF. FPSD-20291
30. The Single Judge recalled that the above-mentioned ban will be lifted immediately and prior
to its complete serving upon payment of the due amounts, in accordance with art. 24 par.
8 of the Regulations.
d. Costs
31. The Single Judge referred to art. 25 par. 1 of the Procedural Rules, according to which
“Procedures are free of charge where at least one of the parties is a player, coach, football agent,
or match agent”. Accordingly, the Single Judge decided that no procedural costs were to be
imposed on the parties.
32. Likewise, and for the sake of completeness, the Single Judge recalled the contents of art.
25 par. 8 of the Procedural Rules and decided that no procedural compensation shall be
awarded in these proceedings.
33. Lastly, the Single Judge concluded his deliberations by rejecting any other requests for
relief made by any of the parties.
pg. 8
REF. FPSD-20291
IV. Decision of the Dispute Resolution Chamber
1.
The claim of the Claimant, Azizbek Turgunboev, is partially accepted.
2.
The Respondent, NET GLOBAL SIVASSPOR, must pay the Claimant the following amount:
- EUR 120,000 as outstanding remuneration plus 5% interest p.a. as from 1 August 2025
until the date of effective payment.
3.
Any further claims of the Claimant are rejected.
4.
Full payment (including all applicable interest) shall be made to the bank account indicated
in the enclosed Bank Account Registration Form.
5.
Pursuant to art. 24 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, if full payment
(including all applicable interest) is not made within 45 days of notification of this decision,
the following consequences shall apply:
1. The Respondent shall be banned from registering any new players, either nationally or
internationally, up until the due amount is paid. The maximum duration of the ban shall
be of up to three entire and consecutive registration periods.
2. The present matter shall be submitted, upon request, to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee
in the event that full payment (including all applicable interest) is still not made by the
end of the three entire and consecutive registration periods.
6.
The consequences shall only be enforced at the request of the Claimant in accordance
with art. 24 par. 7 and 8 and art. 25 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
7.
This decision is rendered without costs.
For the Football Tribunal:
Emilio García Silvero
Chief Legal & Compliance Officer
pg. 9
REF. FPSD-20291
NOTE RELATED TO THE APPEAL PROCEDURE:
According to art. 50 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, this decision may be appealed against before
the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the notification of this
decision.
NOTE RELATED TO THE PUBLICATION:
FIFA may publish this decision. For reasons of confidentiality, FIFA may decide, at the request
of a party within five days of the notification of the motivated decision, to publish an
anonymised or a redacted version (cf., art. 17 of the Procedural Rules Governing the Football
Tribunal).
CONTACT INFORMATION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Legal & Compliance Division
396 Alhambra Circle, 6th floor, Coral Gables, Miami, Florida, USA 33134
legal.fifa.com | [email protected] | T: +41 (0)43 222 7777
pg. 10