Royal AM lawyer Leruma Thobejane is adamant that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will render the transfer ban Fifa imposed on the club invalid.
“I can tell you, cases are there to be won and cases are there to be lost, but I am 100% positive that we’ve done everything correct in law [to have] the ban to be lifted. I am 100% positive,” Thobejane told Sowetan.
“A lot of commentators are saying nobody challenges Fifa and wins, so MaMkhize (Shauwn Mkhize, Royal’s owner) must just pay the R12m. I am sorry it doesn’t work that way. If you’ve failed to challenge Fifa and win previously, that doesn’t mean we must just bow to this kind of suppression… you can’t just bully me into paying Nurkovic R12m without due process.”
Early this week, Fifa handed Royal a transfer ban with immediate effect. This after after the Durban-based side couldn’t settle a R12m outstanding payment to striker Samir Nurkovic, whose contract was “unlawfully” terminated last year.
Speaking to Sowetan yesterday, Nurkovic lawyer Davor Lazic sounded convinced that Royal had no case at all, insisting they missed all the Fifa deadlines to appeal, hence CAS won’t do anything now.
“Fifa’s decision is final and binding, so there’s no way you can appeal now. Nurkovic’s contract was terminated unlawfully and now Royal must pay for that. I am not sure why Royal always mention that there are some discrepancies in the reception or delivery of the decision. They can’t appeal it because they missed all the deadlines,” Lazic asserted.