Following the announcement by Spanish Liga 2 side Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa that they have signed Lucas Ribeiro Costa, FARPost delves into how the club secured his clearance. It means the Brazilian will be eligible to play for his new club despite the ongoing dispute.
Leonesa obtained the player’s clearance without negotiating with his former club, Mamelodi Sundowns. In fact, Ribeiro joined the club as a free agent after terminating his contract with Masandawana on 1 August, citing ‘just cause’ for his potential transfer to Qatar SC being blocked.
He accused the South African champions of pricing him out of the deal and ended his contract based on the recent DIARRA ruling by the CJEU. The PSL Footballer of the Season signed a one-year deal with Cultural Leonesa on August 31.
The Liga 2 club officially announced his signing on Friday after receiving his International Transfer Certificate (ITC), which permits him to compete in official matches for Leonesa with immediate effect.
LUCAS RIBEIRO COSTA’S CLEARANCE EXPLAINED
In an official statement, Martin Hissel, assistant to Ribeiro’s solicitor, Jean-Louis Dupont, stated that Sundowns and SAFA “opposed the issuance of the ITC through various manoeuvres.” This was after the player and his new club submitted a request to FIFA for the issuance of the ITC on Thursday.
He further said the merits of the dispute between the player and Sundowns will first be heard and decided by the FIFA Football Tribunal. “If necessary, Hissel added, “the case will then be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport”.
“In accordance with its new rules, which recognised the obligation to issue the ITC immediately as imposed by the CJEU in its DIARRA ruling, FIFA has now issued the ITC, allowing Lucas Ribeiro Costa to play in official competitions for Cultural Leonesa,” reads the statement.
The issuance of the ITC means the proceedings to resolve the dispute “will in no way interfere with Lucas Ribeiro Costa’s ability to practice his profession in Spain.”
According to standard practice, such proceedings are expected to last between one and two years.
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