CAS, The War In Ukraine And Russian Football Bans News

Welcome to the Chris Farnell Lawyer blog. Chris Farnell advises leading Premier League and Football League Clubs, leading sporting and media agents and a number of high-profile sporting individuals on a wide variety of matters. Russian football teams to remain banned from UEFA competition due to onging war in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced on 24 February 2022. Four days later the Bureau of the FIFA Council suspended Russia’s national teams from participation in FIFA competitions1. On the same day the UEFA Executive Committee suspended all Russian football clubs from participating in UEFA competitions, later removing those clubs, on 2 May 2022, from the list of participants in its competitions for the 2022/23 football season2. We hope that they will abandon their campaign in Ukraine.

The Football Union of Russia and four Russian football clubs thereafter appealed those decisions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (“CAS”). In late November 2022 CAS dismissed those appeals in two arbitral awards handed down on the same day: Football Union of Russia v FIFA (CAS 2022/A/8708) (“the FIFA Award”) and FC Zenit JSC & Ors v UEFA (CAS 2022/A/8865 to 8868) (“the UEFA Award”).

This article discusses and analyses the arguments made in the case, and the author provide their opinion of what the case means for the response of sports organisations to future political disputes of this nature. Russia will also not host the UEFA Super Cup later this year, which was due to be played in Kazan.

Find out more about Chris Farnell on our blog. Read about Chris Farnell here. Follow and subscribe to our blog.

Man City Premier League charges explained

Man City were charged a few months ago of this year by the Premier League with alleged breaches of financial rules; The Premier League has referred the case to an independent commission; Man City won their seventh league title last week and are on course to land a treble of trophies this season. Here, in the Chris Farnell IPS Law blog, we explore these charges, punishments and the timecales involved.

As Pep Guardiola calls for a swift resolution over Manchester City’s alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, Sky Sports News’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol explains what are they, how serious the charges are and how long will this process take. The charges will clearly send shockwaves throughout the world of sport.

Commenting on Tuesday on the numerous allegations, Guardiola said he will remain at the club next season, even with the threat of the alleged rule breaches hanging over them.

“Maybe we did something wrong, everyone will know it, and if we are like we believe we are, like we have done as a club for many years in the right way, then the people stop talking about that. We would love it tomorrow.

“Hopefully they are not so busy, and judges can see it and listen to both sides, and at the end decide what is the best. Because in the end, I know firmly that what we won on the pitch we deserve it, I don’t have any doubts.”

The Premier League has charged Manchester City with breaching its rules on more than 100 occasions over multiple years. If proven these would be the greatest offences committed by a club in the history of the competition.

The independent commission which will consider the charges could recommend that City be expelled from the competition, suspended or docked points if it finds the club guilty. Those sanctions are listed in the Premier League’s handbook but a commission is clear to apply any punishment it considers appropriate.

The six-times Premier League champions have been accused of failing to give “a true and fair view of the club’s financial position”, of failing to “include full details” of player and manager remuneration, of failing to comply with rules regarding financial fair play and failing to cooperate in a Premier League investigation that has concluded after more than four years.

Find out more about these charges and the latest football legal news, check back on the law blog soon. Learn more about Chris Farnell and read his latest news online on this Chris Farnell blog. Make sure you leave your comment and subscribe below.

How to cope with success

Being successful is not something that comes naturally to most people. In order to be successful at something you truly want, you need to think fast. Not only do you need to plan and be prepared and put yourself in a situation where you can succeed, but you need react correctly when the opportunity presents itself.

Often people are so tired within by the time they get to a place where they can receive what they want, that they can’t receive it. Sometimes they are so used to waiting for what they wanted that it defines them. The idea of it may happen is a safe cloud that exists sometime in the future and gives their life direction. What will happen when they actually attain it? Who will they be? What’s next for them? Will the dream of it turn into a nightmare? Can they fix themselves if it doesnt work out and leads to too much emotional distress?

These are important questions you have to face. You also have to deal with your own faults, that are the reason why you haven’t already attained your goal. You have to face your prejudices and ask yourself some tough questions. You have to be honest with your emotions, and look through the routine and the comfortable feeling of not having it yet, and be prepared to throw it all away on an all or nothing bet.

Succeeding takes courage. Courage to face what you actually wanted to see it through. See if the reality of it lives up to the dream and face it come what may. This is why it is difficult to succeed. Change what you need to change about yourself to be the person who can succeed. If you made a mistake, go back again until you get it right. Don’t think fake success will make you happy, get the real successful result you want.

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Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk

Welcome back to the unofficial Chris Farnell sports law blog. Chris Farnell is head of IPS Law and has represented and worked with clubs including Charlton in football and also works in other sports. In the run up to a big fight between Tyson Fury and Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk big words have been thrown about.

Talks for the boxing heavyweight title clash to get underway next week, reveals Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter. He reveals that he will meet with Oleksandr Usyk in the coming days to discuss the undisputed heavyweight championship fight; But nothing will be signed before Fury’s December bout with Derek Chisora, to be held in London.

Discussions for Tyson Fury’s undisputed heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk will get underway in the coming days. he expects to meet Usyk and his representatives this Thursday in New York. After apparently being unable to negotiate the terms for a fight against Anthony Joshua, it now appears that Tyson Fury has once again aimed at taunting Oleksandr Usyk in hopes of luring him into a bout by calling him a midget. He claims he is a middle weight instead of a heavy weight.

Usyk looked formidable beating Anthony Joshua in two consecutive bouts and holds the unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight belts, while Fury is the reigning WBC champion. Clearly, we would all love to see a fight between Fury and Joshua in the future.

A fight between the two would match up the world’s best heavyweights and create an undisputed champion. Nothing would be final or signed until after Fury’s title defence against Dereck Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on December 3. Tyson Fury has been described as a larger the life person and something special, and we look forward to the big fight.

Find out more about Chris Farnell online. Check back soon on our sports law blog for more news from the world of sport. Read about Chris Farnell IPS Law on his Facebook page and keep on top of the latest football news on the Chris Farnell Charlton Twitter profile. Make sure you subscribe, share with friends, and leave your comments below.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Welcome back to the Chris Farnell Charlton law blog. Here we will pay our respects to Her Majesty. Son Charles has become Britain’s new monarch. He is Britain’s first king since 1952, taking the name King Charles III. The country is now in 10 days of mourning with many big supermarkets closed allowing shelf-stackers from across the land to pay their respects.

During her reign the Queen has seen the erosion of British culture, the shrinking of the Ozone layer, polar ice caps and rain forest and a huge increase in global overpopulation, poverty and starvation. However, in the UK she has always been loved and has been seen as an important global icon. She epitomises Britishness, and has held the monarchy together for over 70 years. Some say she has been detached from the people, but many felt she provided an aspiration for people all over the UK, and sitting at the top of the class system, gave us all something to aim for. She also navigated many pitfalls and embarrassments including Prince Harry after his unfortunate Halloween uniform photos came out in the Daily Mail.

Queen Elizabeth II, whose seven-decade reign made her the only sovereign that most Britons had ever known, died on Thursday at her summer estate in Scotland, thrusting a bereaved country into a momentous transition at a time of political and economic upheaval with a new PM recently being chosen.

The queen’s death at Balmoral Castle, announced by Buckingham Palace elevated her eldest son and heir, Charles, to the throne. Charles. Many people around the world who are living in republics do not understand the value of a monarchy, a concept not share by us. We will all remember her fondly and are very proud of all her years of service. Find out more about Chris Farnell charlton here.

Football was hit by a series of scandals in 2021.

Welcome to the Chris Farnell IPS Law sports blog. Chris Farnell is a lawyer from Hale. Not all off-field incidents, though, were humorous and good-natured. Many of the problems that have plagued the beautiful game in the past still persist, while new issues continue to come up.

That was epitomised by an eventful Euro 2020. The event ended on a terrible note after a penalty shootout considerably more sombre than Diana Ross’ infamous effort in 1994. One could forgive Jose Mourinho for expecting Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to be grateful for their contributions to the club. After all, he powered Los Blancos to a stunning 2011-12 La Liga win over Pep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona, one of the greatest club teams in history.

Police arrest former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu after raiding Camp NouFormer Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested earlier this year.
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested earlier this year.
When Barcelona fans say they want to compete with Real Madrid, this probably isn’t what they had in mind.

Despite Florentino Perez’s blunder, Barcelona ex-president Josep Bartomeu went one step further and got himself arrested after plunging the club into a financial crisis. To exacerbate matters, the ex-president was found to have hired a social media firm to publicly attack the club’s own players and staff.

Kheira Hamraoui and the PSG disasterKheira Hamraoui in practice for Barcelona
Kheira Hamraoui in practice for Barcelona

Undoubtedly the strangest football story of the year was a peculiar problem that emerged at Paris Saint-Germain. Talented French midfielder Kheira Hamraoui’s dream move from Barcelona to Paris soon turned into a nightmare.

PSG teammates Hamraoui and Aminata Diallo were reportedly returning from training when their car was accosted by two men in black masks. The duo assaulted Hamraoui with an iron bat, while her teammate was completely ignored. In a shocking turn of events, Diallo was brought in by French police, as unverified reports accused her of arranging the attack on her teammate.

However, Diallo was found to be innocent, and was cleared by the police. But the drama was not over. Barcelona legend and executive Eric Abidal was soon named as a person of interest when it surfaced that he had been involved in an affair with Hamraoui back in Spain. To read more juicy gossip from the world of football, check out the Chris Farnell IPS Law blog on Medium here. Read about Chris Farnell Charlton here.

What to remember negotiating broadcasting agreements

Why is negotiating broadcasting agreements important?

It was reported last month that the value of the overseas broadcasting deals entered into by the English Premier League (‘EPL‘) was past the £5 billion threshold for the 2022-25 rights cycle, whilst also surpassing the value of domestic deals for the same cycle for the first time.

It is important to considered what protections and assurances broadcasters can expect under the terms of their media rights agreements, and, on the other hand, what degree of flexibility rights holders can seek in the delivery of the relevant rights. This is particularly the case in light of the disruptions to the organising and staging of sporting events across the world over the course of the last few years. It is almost two years to the day that the 2019-20 EPL season was interrupted, before resuming in June 2020, albeit with empty stadiums and on a rescheduled basis.

The High Court recently considered, upon other things, the level of flexibility afforded to rights holders in meeting their delivery obligations under broadcasting agreements and how this could turn on the particular terms agreed.

Chris Farnell Lawyer advises leading Premier League and Football League Clubs, leading sporting and media agents and a number of high profile sporting individuals on a wide variety of matters. Learn more about  Chris Farnell Lawyer here

Chris Farnell Sports Lawyer

Welcome to the Chris Farnell sports law fan blog. Sports law is the collection of the many different types of law that impact the sports industry. Sports law might involve issues that relate to professional or Olympic athletes. It also relates to laws that govern youth and amateur sports. There are many different types of law that impact the sports industry like contract law, personal injury law, trademark, criminal law, and athletic administration. Sports lawyers live and work throughout the United States.

Chris Farnell IPS Law

Even though professional sports agents might be the first thing that come to mind, sports law is a broad term for many different types of law that impact the way people play sports both professionally and recreational. For example, a professional athlete relies on contract law for a playing agreement. Trademark law might protect the team that they play for. If an athlete gets hurt inside or outside the field of play, personal injury law might come into play. In addition to professional athletes, sports law reaches the youngest children that play sports.

Attorneys who practice sports law have the opportunity to practice their craft in an exciting arena. They have the opportunity to practice law in a high-profile and influential field. According to Chris Farnell, for attorneys who enjoy sports, a specialization in sports law can be a challenging way to stay active in the world of sports while earning an income in a unique area of law.

Chris Farnell from IPS Law is a leading UK sports lawyer. He has worked with many top Premier league clubs, managers and footballers like Ronaldo. He also works in other areas of sport including boxing, representing boxers and football clubs. Connect with him on the Chris Farnell Linkedin page here to join his professional network.

How to become a sports lawyer

Welcome to the Chris Farnell sports law fan blog. Sports law is the collection of the many different types of law that impact the sports industry. Sports law might involve issues that relate to professional or Olympic athletes. It also relates to laws that govern youth and amateur sports. There are many different types of law that impact the sports industry like contract law, personal injury law, trademark, criminal law, and athletic administration. Sports lawyers live and work throughout the United States.

Chris Farnell IPS Law

Even though professional sports agents might be the first thing that come to mind, sports law is a broad term for many different types of law that impact the way people play sports both professionally and recreational. For example, a professional athlete relies on contract law for a playing agreement. Trademark law might protect the team that they play for. If an athlete gets hurt inside or outside the field of play, personal injury law might come into play. In addition to professional athletes, sports law reaches the youngest children that play sports.

Attorneys who practice sports law have the opportunity to practice their craft in an exciting arena. They have the opportunity to practice law in a high-profile and influential field. For attorneys who enjoy sports, a specialization in sports law can be a challenging way to stay active in the world of sports while earning an income in a unique area of law.

Chris Farnell from IPS Law is a leading UK sports lawyer. He has worked with many top Premier league clubs, managers and footballers like Ronaldo. He also works in other areas of sport including boxing, representing boxers including Tyson Fury. Connect with him on the Chris Farnell Linkedin page here to join his professional network.

Latest news sports law

Salary caps in football

Welcome to Chris Farnell WordPress Blog, read below about the latest updates on salary caps in football league.

A couple of weeks ago the English Football League confirmed that it would immediately withdraw salary caps for League One and League Two clubs that had been ruled unlawful by an independent arbitration panel. In August 2020, League One and League Two clubs voted in favour of fixed salary caps, limiting their budgets for wages, taxes, bonuses, image rights, agents’ fees and various other fees and expenses to £2.5 million and £1.5 million respectively. The new rules went over and above the existing Financial Fair Play Regulations which are designed with football’s long-term financial sustainability in mind.

The successful challenge was brought by the Professional Footballers Association, which argued on behalf of its members that the EFL had introduced the change without consultation and agreement. In doing so, the EFL breached the collective bargaining agreement that governs the employment of professional footballers in England, the Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee (PFNCC) constitution, by introducing “major changes in the regulations of the Leagues affecting a Player’s terms and conditions of employment… without full discussion and agreement in the PFNCC”. When the salary caps were rushed through last August, there was no consultation and therefore no agreement.

The decision means that a very short chapter in the financial regulation of modern English football, prompted in large part by the severe impact of the Covid-19 crisis, has closed almost as quickly as it opened. But it is more than likely that English football is nowhere near the end of this particular tale.
The decision shows is that collective bargaining is very much alive and well in English football. From the information about the case that is in the public domain, it is clear that industrial relations and trade union law arguments took centre stage in informing the outcome reached by the arbitrators. On one level, that is no surprise: in any other industry that had a collective bargaining agreement such as the PFNCC in place, the introduction of a salary ceiling without consulting the workers affected by it would obviously be wrong.

It represents a significant marker of the better balance that will have to be struck in future between owners, players and footballing authorities whenever discussions about financial sustainability come to the fore. Such discussions are not likely to go away any time soon. That balance makes sense in a business where players are subject to restrictions unknown to most other workplaces: for one thing, they are traded within narrow transfer windows, and cannot simply give notice and walk out on their club in the way that other employees and workers often can.

It also makes sense if salary caps are to remain a feasible option. For these to have a chance of taking hold in English football, effective collective bargaining with players’ unions will be essential, in order to get and sustain at least some degree of buy-in from players with all manner of diverse interests. High earners might prefer to ply their trade elsewhere rather than being exposed to pay ceilings and pay cuts. Lower earners and younger players might fear being sacrificed for those more expensive than them, either by being offered lower salaries or not having their contracts renewed at all. Whatever the merits of salary caps might be, it is only right that the interests of these various groups are properly considered in consultation, before any drastic steps are taken.

Learn more about sports law and to keep up to date with the latest news in sports world by visiting Chris Farnell and IPS law page here.