Sports News of Thursday, 8 April 2021

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

FIFA rejects $250,000 alleged Zamalek settlement with Acheampong

Ghanaian striker Benjamin Acheampong(M) Ghanaian striker Benjamin Acheampong(M)

FIFA has rejected Zamalek's alleged $250,000 compensation settlement with Ghanaian striker Benjamin Acheampong.

The world governing body has ordered the five-time African champions to pay the Ghanaian $1m within 30 days as instructed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) back in December 2020.

Acheampong revealed last month that his former agent conspired with Zamalek to agree on a settlement of $250,000 instead of an amount of $1.1 million.

But the Fifa's Disciplinary Committee has rejected the settlement package and has awarded the full cost to the North African giants.

Three months ago, Cas ruled that the five-time African champions must pay the 30-year-old around $1.1m after finding that the player had been forced into breaking his contract by the club's actions.

Egyptian giants Zamalek were to be handed a transfer ban at the end of March unless the Cairo club pays its former player Benjamin Acheampong over $1m as instructed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in December.

Cas found the Ghanaian had 'no other option but to terminate' his Zamalek contract, citing - among other reasons - his lack of proper payment, his exclusion from training, and from the squad for his second season at the club.

"Zamalek Sports Club is granted a final deadline of 30 days as from notification of the present decision in which to settle the said amount," Fifa's Disciplinary Department wrote to the concerned parties on April 8, 2021.

“Zamalek Sports Club is found guilty of failing to comply in full with the decision passed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 8 December 2020.”

“The Zamalek Sports Club is granted a final deadline of 30 days as from notification of the present decision in which to settle the said amount.

“Upon expiry of the aforementioned final deadline and in the event of persistent default or failure to comply in full with the decision within the period stipulated, a transfer ban will be pronounced until the complete amount due is paid or the non-financial decision is complied with.

“The transfer ban will be implemented automatically at national and international level by the Egyptian Football Association and Fifa respectively, without a further formal decision having to be taken nor any order to be issued by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee or its secretariat.

“In addition, a deduction of points or relegation to a lower division may also be ordered in addition to a transfer ban in the event of persistent failure, repeated offenses or serious infringements or if no full transfer could be imposed or served for any reason.”