Olimpija back to CAS court in early October: Germany reveals what’s behind the legal dispute with Čeferin’s UEFA organisation
Photo: Vid Ponikvar / Sportida
The 1st of October is approaching, which means that Olimpija will once again face the arbitration court, CAS, in Switzerland. Club officials from Ljubljana were there just days ago, hearing all parties involved in the legal dispute between Olimpija and their former coach Robert Prosinečki and his assistant Dragan Spasić. The outcome of this legal battle is still unknown, but meanwhile, reports from Germany have shed light on why Olimpija will return to Switzerland at the start of October. It has been officially confirmed that Olimpija is in a legal dispute with UEFA, and Kicker reports that the story revolves around a fine that Čeferin’s organization imposed on the club last season during their European campaign.
“It all centers around a fine that UEFA issued in September 2023, amounting to 27,125 euros, following a European qualifying match in August 2023 against Qarabag, where Olimpija lost 0-2. UEFA penalized the club due to inappropriate team behavior and fans throwing objects onto the field. An appeal to UEFA’s disciplinary commission was unsuccessful, which is why CAS will now handle the case with a hearing scheduled for October 1,” Kicker wrote, adding that Olimpija believes the fine is excessive.
The German newspaper also elaborated on Olimpija’s return to CAS, where they had previously been involved in a dispute with FC Köln: “Olimpija, whose management includes Munich real estate entrepreneur Adam Delius and his partner, lawyer Dr. Christian Dollinger, argues that UEFA fines hit smaller clubs, like theirs, much harder. The argument is practical: clubs from Southeastern and Eastern Europe often operate with smaller budgets compared to the giants from the top five leagues, who function in entirely different financial frameworks. While FC Bayern, for example, generates annual revenues of 854 million euros, fines in the thousands are negligible for such clubs. However, the question remains whether this argument will hold up legally.”
Kicker further notes that Norwegian club SK Brann recently appealed a 5,000-euro UEFA fine for fans chanting “UEFA mafia”. “The club’s president, Aslak Sverdrup, argued that such statements fall under freedom of speech. But the case of Olimpija is harder to compare, as it involved proven inappropriate behavior,” they add in Germany. Olimpija received several UEFA fines last season for misconduct in Europe, including after the match against Rijeka. Although it was the visiting fans who caused chaos at the Stožice stadium, Olimpija was also handed a bill amounting to nearly 85,000 euros.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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