Thursday, August 7, 2008

CAS Said "Messi-Rafinha-Diego Return 2 UR Clubs".

Just when you thought the club vs country Olympic argument was settled…
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has sided with Barcelona, Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen by ruling that its NOT mandatory for clubs to releases Under 23 players for the Olympics. CAS found that releasing U-23 players was “customary” but - because the Olympics isn’t in the FIFA calendar - not mandatory.


“The Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008 is not included in the Co-ordinated Match Calendar and there is no specific decision of the Fifa Executive Committee establishing the obligation for the clubs to release players under 23 for this tournament. The requirements to justify a legal obligation of clubs to release their players for the Football Tournament Beijing 2008 on the basis of customary law are not met.”” read a CAS
statement.
And so the court says Leo Messi, Rafinha and Diego have to pack their Beijing bags and return to their clubs. But it’s not as simple as that…

Rafinha and Diego both went to China against the will of their clubs, and it’s not clear whether the CAS ruling will have any affect on their decision. Certainly a CAS ruling that releasing U-23 players was mandatory would have vindicated the two absentees, but the ruling that it’s not doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll return.

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