CAS REGISTERS THE APPEALS FILED BY THE FOOTBALL UNION OF RUSSIA AGAINST THE DECISIONS TAKEN BY FIFA AND UEFA TO SUSPEND RUSSIAN TEAMS AND CLUBS FROM THEIR COMPETITIONS
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now reached for legal adjudication. After being suspended from various international sports bodies and international sporting events, including the ongoing Winter Paralympic games in Beijing, the Russians have moved the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for setting aside suspensions and ouster from sporting events.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) registered on Tuesday the appeals filed by the Football Union of Russia (FUR) against the decisions taken on February 28 by the Bureau of the FIFA Council (the FIFA appeal) and the UEFA Executive Committee (the UEFA appeal) (collectively, the Challenged Decisions) to suspend all Russian teams and clubs from participation in their respective competitions until further notice.
The FIFA appeal has been filed against the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Polish Football Association, the Swedish Football Association, the Czech Football Association, the Football Association of Montenegro and the Malta Football Association.
The UEFA appeal has been filed against UEFA, the Hellenic Football Federation, the Belarus Football Federation, the Danish Football Association, the Luxembourgish Football Association, the Austrian Football Association, the Malta Football Association, the Portuguese Football Federation, the English Football Association, the Spanish Football Association, the Irish Football Association and the French Football Association.
In its appeals, the FUR has requested the CAS to set aside the Challenged Decisions and to reinstate all Russian teams and clubs for participation in FIFA and UEFA competitions. Together with each statement of appeal, the FUR has also filed a request to stay the execution of each challenged decision.
The CAS Court Office has initiated two separate arbitration procedures and, in accordance with the Code of Sports-related Arbitration (the arbitration rules governing CAS procedures), will seek the position of the respondent parties with respect to the FUR’s requests to stay the execution of the Challenged Decisions and as to the organization and planning of each arbitration procedure.