[1] In this case (CAS 2021/A/7800 NK Inter Zaprešić v. Borislav Aleksandrov Tsonev & FIFA), the Bulgarian player Borislav Tsonev (Player) unilaterally terminated his employment contract with the Croatian football club NK Inter Zaprešić (Club) for non-payment of more than two salaries. While the Club did not take part in the FIFA proceedings, it raised a defence of the lack of FIFA’s jurisdiction before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Sole Arbitrator found that the Arbitration Court to the Croatian Football Federation (CFF) does not qualify as an independent and impartial arbitral tribunal on the national level.
Brief Facts
On 19 June 2020, the Player put the Club in default of payment of more than two monthly salaries and granted the Club a 15-day deadline for subsequent performance.
As the Club did not react, the Player terminated the contract for just cause on 7 July 2020.
Therefore, in September 2022, the Player took the dispute to the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC).
FIFA Decision
The DRC invited the Club to the proceedings and to the reply to the claim, but it remained silent.
Consequently, the DRC retained...
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