Saint Etienne And Sall Take FIFA To Court

CISCOEG6 · Division 2 Rookie

Saint Etienne And Sall Take FIFA To Court
In November 2007 FIFA ruled that Sall would be banned from the game for four months from July 2008 for breaching a contract with the Kristiansand club without proper reason. On top of this football's governing body ruled that Saint-Etienne, Sall's current club, should pay FK Start US$150,000 as a form of remuneration for his services.

Domestic Difficulties

Much of the complexity of the case stems around Sall's situation back in Senegal, where he played for local club US Gorée.

After a successful trial in Norway in March 2006 Start elected to sign the robust defensive midfield player and presented him with a contract, which was signed by Sall.

With only a signature from the president of US Gorée needed to confirm the deal the process seemed like a mere formality, however Start could not get in touch with the head of the Dakar club before the transfer window closed.

Sall returned to Senegal until the new window opened, but when he was due to move back to Norway the president of Gorée is reported to have refused to have sanctioned the move despite Start offering a payment of €85, 000 for the player. Fearing for his family's safety Sall refused to leave the country.

For some time the saga died away however when Start heard of Sall's move to Saint-Etienne five months later they were understandably upset, citing the contract that the player had signed with them.

Professional Status Questioned

It is Start and FIFA's opinion that the player was not professional in Senegal and so did not require any exit papers to be presented either from Gorée or the Federation Sénégalaise de Football, although this does bring into question why there was an initial delay in the move.

Should the CAS recognise FIFA's viewpoint then Sall will have been deemed to have breached his contract, which he claims he initialled without the knowledge of exactly what he was signing, with the Norwegian club.

As explained by Saint-Etienne, who are also contesting the decision, in a press release issued on Sunday (27th April 2008) they “intend to show: the invalidity of the contract signed between the club of IK Start and Moustapha Bayal Sall, non-observance by IK Start of the procedures of the FIFA, and the professional contract of the player when he was with US Gorée” at the hearing.

Essentially the whole case can be reduced to a debate over the professional status of Sall while in Senegal.

Uncertain Future

After a difficult start to his time in France, where Sall looked slow and cumbersome, a move into the centre of Sainté's defence this season has rejuvenated his career. Playing in this role has nullified his lack of mobility to some extent and has enhanced his better attributes, such as strength and aggression.

Such has been the improvement in the Senegalese player's game that he has been strongly linked with a move to Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth.

Adding further intrigue to the story is that the Norwegian press claim that Sall's passport when he “signed” for Start had his birth date as 9th August 1983 although this had mysteriously changed to 30th November 1985 by the time the player's move to Sainté was completed.

Certainly this is a case where all may not be as it seems.

According to Saint-Etienne's official website, www.asse.fr, the club will be notified of the CAS' decision “before the theoretical date of the effect of the sanction (1st July 2008)”.