FIFA announced that they have handed over another transfer ban to Royal AM for failing to pay their defender, Ricardo Nascimento.
According to FIFA, the KZN-based DStv Premiership club is banned from three transfers, effective from 15 January after they failed to pay the defender R620 000.
FIFA also added that the team is still serving another transfer ban for failing to pay Samir Nurkovic R12 million.
However, Royal AM issued a statement saying that their legal representatives are in the process of clarifying the issue with both FIFA and Nascimento’s legal representative as they had already provided proof of payment to FIFA.
“At the end of April 2023, two months before the expiry of Mr Nascimento’s contract, Royal AM FC terminated the contract and paid out him the remainder of the unexpired term of his employment contract, May and June 2023.
“Mr Nascimento referred a contractual dispute to FIFA DRC for payment of the salary for May and June 2023, payment of the option period which was not exercised by Royal AM FC and R120 000 bonus.
They said FIFA DRC granted Mr Nascimento for payment of R600 000 on the 28th of September 2023 and they lodged an appeal with CAS and requested the motivated decision from FIFA.
“On the 7th of November 2023, FIFA notified it’s motivated decision, which upon perusal Roya AM FC established that the award made by FIFA DRC was salary for the months of May and June 2023, WHICH Royal AM FC had already paid to Nascimento and all other claims by Mr Nascimento were rejected by FIFA DRC.
“In light of this revelation, Royal AM FC, the CAS appeal was withdrawn.
“FIFA notified Royal AM FC of the transfer ban on the 15th of January 2024, for non-compliance with the award that Royal AM FC had already paid.
They said the registration ban shall be uplifted in due course.
Touching on the Samir Nurkovic matter, the team confirmed that the FIFA appeal against the FIFA decision is still pending at CAS.
They said the delay in the finalization of the matter is due to Nurkovic and FIFA’s refusal to have an expedited procedure and the refusal of Nurkovic to pay his share of the advanced costs.
They added that they have paid the full advanced costs, including Nurkovic’s share and that they are currently waiting for a directive from CAS office regarding the appointed arbitrator in the matter, the procedure to be adopted and the allocation of the date of the hearing.
