Shakhtar Donetsk ‘to argue FIFA breached Ukrainian, Swiss and EU Competition law’

Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk are reportedly ready to claim that FIFA broke Ukrainian law, Swiss law and European Union competition law by allowing the team’s foreign nationals to suspend their contracts. 

Back in July Shakhtar demanded they receive €50million (£43million) worth of damages from FIFA for lost transfer fees of departed players.

That case is preparing to be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) next week and Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin has outlined the club’s planned position to The Athletic.

Shakhtar Donetsk have demanded that they receive £43million worth of damages from FIFA

Their case against FIFA is ready to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport next week 

In June FIFA ruled that foreign players and coaches in Ukraine could suspend their contracts with clubs until June 30, 2023, in light of Russia‘s invasion of the country. 

Thirteen-time Ukrainian champions Shakhtar are adamant they have missed out on significant revenue as a result. 

The club had 14 foreign players in the squad before Russia’s invasion and planned to sell them to help cover their losses which have stacked up since fighting started in late February. 

However, FIFA’s ruling in June meant that those players were able to join new clubs without Shakhtar receiving any compensation. 

Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin has revealed the club’s legal position now

Now, as part of their argument to CAS, the club’s legal team will reportedly argue that FIFA’s ruling was passed without key stakeholders, such as Ukrainian clubs themselves or the Ukrainian Football Association, consulted.

Palkin also added that the club’s lawyers will make the argument that there is no legal precedent or historic ground to suspend employment contracts under Ukrainian and Swiss law.

Shakhtar also reportedly plan to state that FIFA should not have the ability to intervene in contractual relationships when it is not one of the involved parties.

Another avenue being explored according to the report is one of a potential EU competition law violation.  

FIFA declined to comment when approached by Sportsmail. 

The case is to be heard on the eve of the January transfer window where it is widely expected that Shakhtar forward Mykhaylo Mudryk will generate a series of bids from Europe’s top clubs. 

Brazilian Tete joined Lyon on a free loan after the clubs were previously in talks over a sale

Shakhtar boss Igor Jovicevic has urged Mudryk to continue his development with the club and resist a January move to Arsenal, who are among his suitors.

‘This management will decide what to do when there is an option to sell a football player, the star of the team,’ Jovićević said.

‘As a coach, of course, I would like such a player to play as long as possible in the team, to build a quality Shakhtar around him, so that everyone gains momentum, gains experience and does what, perhaps, the team once did in the Champions League.

‘With our efforts, talent and ambition, I think we could do it together eventually. They are young, I say again, young.

‘There are several football players in Dinamo (Zagreb), for example, (Josko) Gvardiol, who plays for Leipzig and today played in the World Cup [for Croatia], the Spaniard Dani Olmo, who played in Zagreb.

‘Each of them played at least 100 matches for the club and only then moved from the intermediate club, and not immediately to Barcelona and Manchester City.’

Mykhaylo Mudryk (pictured) has been linked with Europe’s biggest clubs ahead of January