Shakhtar Donetsk’s director of football has accused FIFA of “doing nothing” to assist the club after its appeal against a contentious transfer judgement was rejected earlier this month. Darijo Srna claimed FIFA’s current position will “devastate” his club.
“The whole world is helping Ukraine but FIFA doesn’t help its football. It’s their duty and they do nothing,” Srna expressed dissatisfaction in a Thursday interview with The Guardian.
The FIFA transfer policy that allows foreign players and coaching staff at Russian and Ukrainian clubs to unilaterally suspend their contracts until the end of June 2023 due to the ongoing conflict has enraged Shakhtar executives. The policy was extended in June in advance of the new season after being initially announced in March.
The FIFA transfer policy that allows foreign players and coaching staff at Russian and Ukrainian clubs to unilaterally suspend their contracts until the end of June 2023 due to the ongoing conflict has enraged Shakhtar executives. The policy was extended in June in advance of the new season after being initially announced in March.
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Eight Russian teams and the Shakhtar squad from the Ukrainian Premier League filed an appeal against the ruling with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, but their claims were earlier this month dismissed. Shakhtar said the club would miss out on millions in possible transfer payments, while Russian teams claimed the FIFA regulation was discriminatory and compromised the validity of contracts.
The fact that Shakhtar was requesting €50 million ($54 million) in restitution for players who went on loan when they could have been sold became public knowledge in July. However, the club’s finances have recently seen a considerable improvement following the recent sale of winger Mikhail Mudryk to English powerhouse Chelsea in a transaction estimated to be worth up to €100 million ($108 million).
After the sale, club president Rinat Akhmetov announced that $25 million will be set aside to fund the Ukrainian military campaign against Russia, including the financial support of the Mariupol defenders and their families. As the neo-Nazi Azov battalion attempted to repel Russian attacks before submitting in May, the city was the scene of fierce combat.
Following the unrest brought on by the coup in Kiev in 2014, Shakhtar relocated to western Ukraine but kept its identity. The team previously played at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk. One of the four regions that officially joined Russia as a result of referendums held in September of last year was Donetsk.
Due to the conflict with Ukraine, Russian clubs are still barred by UEFA and FIFA from participating in any recognised international competitions. The Russian Football Union (RFU) declared at the end of December that it would form a working group with UEFA to look for a possible entry point for Russian teams into competitions.
Anger in Ukraine was raised earlier in December when FIFA turned down President Vladimir Zelensky’s request to deliver a video speech prior to the Argentina vs. France World Cup final in Qatar.
