Labour Disputes
Texto da decisão
REF. FPSD-20473
Decision of the
Dispute Resolution Chamber
passed on 2 October 2025
regarding an employment-related dispute concerning the player
Gianni Bruno
COMPOSITION:
Martín AULETTA (Argentina), Deputy Chairperson
Stefano SARTORI (Italy), Member
Dana MOHAMED AL-NOAIMI (Qatar), Member
CLAIMANT:
Gianni Bruno, Belgium
RESPONDENT:
Ikas Eyupspor, Türkiye
Represented by Ercan Sevdimbaş
pg. 2
REF. FPSD-20473
I. Facts of the case
1.
On an unspecified date, the Belgian player Gianni Bruno (hereinafter: the Claimant or the
Player) and the Turkish club Ikas Eyupspor (hereinafter: the Respondent or the Club)
concluded an employment contract (hereinafter: the Contract) valid as from 15 August 2023
until 30 June 2025.
2.
On 20 January 2025, the Claimant and the Respondent concluded an agreement to
terminate the Contract (hereinafter: the Termination Agreement).
3.
The Termination Agreement read as follows:
“[…] 1. The parties hereby immediately terminate by mutual agreement all relations and
disputes that may have existed between them up to the present date, for whatever reason, and
expressly declare that they have no claim against each other due to the early termination of the
Professional Football Player Contacrt [sic] with starting date 15.08.2023 and end date
30.06.2025 and the Protocol dated 09.08.2023 and all other agreements between the parties.
2. The Parties have agreed that the Player has a total net receivable of EUR 413.000.00 + TL
1,750,000.00, consisting of EUR 200,000-EUR goal and championship bonus, 213,000-EUR salary
receivable and TL 1,750,000-TL accommodation and vehicle expenses, from the Club in respect
of the receivables arising under the Professional Football Player Contract with starting date
15.08.2023 and end date 30.06.2025 and Protocol dated 09.08.2023 and all other agreements
between the parties. As such, the parties agree that the Euro equivalent of 1.750.000.00-TL is
48.000,-Euro and therefore the total receivable of the Footballer is 461.000-Euro. A total of
445.000-Euro shall be paid by the Club to the Footballer as set out below:
•
•
•
288.000-EUR was paid on 20.01.2025.
12.000-EUR will be paid on 21.01.2025
145.000-EUR will be paid on 31.07.2025. If any payment is not made on time, interest of
18% per annum will be charged.
All amounts and payments under this agreement and previously paid to the Footballer pursuant
to the Professional Football Player Contract with starting date 15.08.2023 and end date
30.06.2025 and the Protocol dated 09.08.2023 and all other agreements between the parties
are "net” amounts. For clarity: All taxes, also including income taxes, tax penalties and interest
arising from these contracts/agreements/protocol are payable by the Club in addition to the
Player's fees. The Club is additionally liable for the payment of withholding taxes, income taxes,
tax penalties and interests regarding the amounts specified in this and above mentioned
contracts.
The Parties have agreed that 16.000, -Euro shall be paid by the Player to the Club due to the fact
that this Mutual Termination / Termination Protocol has taken place at the request of the Player
due to the Player's not wanting to serve the Club. The said amount shall be paid by waiving the
pg. 3
REF. FPSD-20473
total amount of receivables arising and unpaid receivables before the Club. For this reason, the
Parties accept, declare and undertake that they have no rights and receivables from each other
except above-mentioned receivable of net 445.000-Euro. Therefore, the Parties have no rights
and receivables from each other and they have released each other except above-mentioned
receivable of net 445.000-Euro.
1. In this context, except for the amounts and taxes specified in Artic le 1.2 of this Termination
and Settlement Agreement, the Player accepts, declares and undertakes that he will not in any
way claim all obligations set out in the Agreement as well as other agreements, arrangements
and other agreements, collaborations and protocols made between the parties for the same
period. In addition, the Club expressly and irrevocably releases the Player from any and all
obligations arising out of the service contract and its annexes between the parties. In this
respect, the Parties shall not make any economic claims against each other.
2. This Mutual Termination and Settlement Protocol is issued at the request of the Player due to
the Player's unwillingness to provide services to the Club. In this context, except for the amounts
and taxes specified in Article 1.2 of this Termination and Settlement Agreement, the Player
agrees and undertakes that he irrevocably releases the Club for all obligations set out in the
Agreement, as well as any other agreements, arrangements and understandings made between
the parties regarding the same period and any other claims/compensation related to the
employment contract(s). In addition, the Player accepts, declares and undertakes that the
Waring [sic] Letter sent to the Club on 06.01.2025 covers the amounts specified in Article 1.2 of
this Mutual Termination and Settlement Protocol, therefore, with the signing of this Mutual
Termination and Settlement Protocol, he accepts, declares and undertakes that he waives his
rights to termination compensation and receivables arising from the Warning Letter. The Player
has accepted and undertaken that he will not take any action pursuant to the Warning Letter
dated 06.01.2025 and if he takes any action, this action will be deemed invalid. […]”
4.
On 11 August 2025, the Claimant put the Respondent in default and requested payment
within 7 days of the last instalment of the Termination Agreement in the amount of EUR
145,000 net, plus 18% interest p.a. from 31 July 2025 until the date of effective payment.
II. Proceedings before FIFA
5.
On 21 August 2025, the Claimant filed the claim at hand before FIFA. A summary of the
parties’ respective positions is detailed below.
a. Position of the Claimant
6.
In his claim, the Claimant argued that the Respondent failed to comply with its financial
obligations under the Termination Agreement.
pg. 4
REF. FPSD-20473
7.
Accordingly, the Claimant requested payment of the last instalment of the Termination
Agreement in the amount of EUR 145,000 net, plus 18% interest p.a. from 31 July 2025 until
the date of effective payment, as well as CHF 4,000 as legal fees.
b. Position of the Respondent
8.
It is the position of the Respondent that the amount requested by the Claimant is unfair
and that it has fulfilled its financial obligations towards him in accordance with the
Termination Agreement.
III. Considerations of the Dispute Resolution Chamber
a. Competence and applicable legal framework
9.
First of all, the Dispute Resolution Chamber (hereinafter: the Chamber or the DRC) analysed
whether it was competent to deal with the case at hand. In this respect, it took note that
the present matter was presented to FIFA on 21 August 2025 and submitted for decision
on 2 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.
10. Furthermore, the Chamber 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), it is competent to deal with the matter at stake, which concerns an employmentrelated dispute with an international dimension between a Belgian player and a Turkish
club.
11. Subsequently, the Chamber analysed which regulations should be applicable as to the
substance of the matter. In this respect, it 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.
b. Burden of proof
12. The Chamber 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 Chamber stressed
the wording of art. 13 par. 4 of the Procedural Rules, pursuant to which it may consider
evidence not filed by the parties, including without limitation the evidence generated by or
within the Transfer Matching System (TMS).
pg. 5
REF. FPSD-20473
c. Merits of the dispute
13. Having established the competence and the applicable regulations, the Chamber entered
into the merits of the dispute. In this respect, the Chamber started by acknowledging all
the above-mentioned facts as well as the arguments and the documentation on file.
However, the Chamber emphasised that in the following considerations it will refer only to
the facts, arguments and documentary evidence, which it considered pertinent for
assessing the matter at hand.
i. Main legal discussion and considerations
14. The Chamber then moved to the substance of the matter, and took note of the fact that
the parties strongly dispute the payment of certain financial obligations by the Respondent
as per the Termination Agreement, namely EUR 145,000 net.
15. In this context, the Chamber acknowledged that its task was to determine, based on the
evidence presented by the parties, whether the claimed amounts had in fact remained
unpaid by the Respondent and, if so, whether the latter had a valid justification for not
having complied with its financial obligations.
16. The Chamber first noted that, in the case at hand, the Respondent bore the burden of
proving that it indeed complied with the financial terms of the Termination Agreement
concluded between the parties.
17. Nonetheless, the Chamber noted that the Respondent failed to provide any evidence to
prove the payment of the amount claimed as outstanding by the Claimant. Furthermore,
the Chamber pointed out that no reasonable justification was presented by the
Respondent for not having complied with the terms of the Termination Agreement.
18. In view of the foregoing and bearing in mind the basic legal principle of pact sunt servanda,
which in essence means that agreements must be respected by the parties in good faith,
the Chamber concluded that the Respondent is held liable to pay the Claimant the
outstanding amount deriving from the Termination Agreement.
19. Consequently, the Chamber decided that the Respondent is liable to pay to the Claimant
EUR 145,000 net as the outstanding amount under the Termination Agreement
20. In addition, taking into consideration the Claimant’s request as well as the wording of the
Termination Agreement, the Chamber decided to award the Claimant interest at the rate
of 18% p.a. on the outstanding amount as from 1 August 2025 until the date of effective
payment. In this regard, the Chamber held that the interest rate contractually agreed in the
Termination Agreement is aligned with the maximum permitted by the jurisprudence of
the Football Tribunal.
pg. 6
REF. FPSD-20473
ii. Compliance with monetary decisions
21. Finally, taking into account the applicable Regulations, the Chamber 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.
22. In this regard, the DRC 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.
23. Therefore, bearing in mind the above, the DRC 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.
24. 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.
25. The DRC 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
26. The Chamber 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 Chamber decided that no procedural costs were to be
imposed on the parties.
27. Likewise, and for the sake of completeness, the Chamber recalled the contents of art. 25
par. 8 of the Procedural Rules and decided that no procedural compensation shall be
awarded in these proceedings.
28. Lastly, the DRC concluded its deliberations by rejecting any other requests for relief made
by any of the parties.
pg. 7
REF. FPSD-20473
IV. Decision of the Dispute Resolution Chamber
1.
The claim of the Claimant, Gianni Bruno, is partially accepted.
2.
The Respondent, Ikas Eyupspor, must pay to the Claimant the following amount:
- EUR 145,000 net as outstanding remuneration plus 18% 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. 8
REF. FPSD-20473
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
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