Russian international banned in Bosman-like scenario

A RUSSIAN international, not named in the squad to face the Republic of Ireland on Saturday due to a contractual dispute with his club, has been banned for four months.

Spartak Moscow striker Dmitry Sychyov, an 18-year-old, who was Russia’s best player at the World Cup finals, was not considered by coach Valery Gazzayev because, “he is not mentally fit to play on such a high level,” after he walked out on his club. The Russian Professional Football League (RFPL) yesterday imposed the ban after investigating the case.

“We found there was no evidence to support Sychyov’s request to annul his contract with Spartak, thus we had no choice but to ban the player for four months,” Vitor Marushchak, the head of the RFPL’s disciplinary committee, said after a four-hour hearing.

Marushchak said, however, that when the ban is lifted Sychyov will be free to play for any club in Russia or abroad: “It’s a FIFA mandate that we can’t prevent a professional player from practising his trade.” Russian media have compared the case with the Bosman ruling, which allows players greater freedom of movement within the European Union and rocked European soccer a few years ago.

Sychyov, who shocked the Russian game by submitting a written request to annul his contract with Spartak on August 16, accused the club of failing to pay “a guaranteed $10,000 signing bonus”. Spartak, who initially denied making such a guarantee to the player, were seeking a lengthy ban on their 18-year-old striker.

“The club was asking for a 12-month ban, but yet again we have to go by what FIFA says the punishment must be in such cases,” said Marushchak. “Of course, if Sychyov and Spartak agreed to patch up their differences, we would lift the ban on the player.”

However, after a bitter media campaign on both sides, such a scenario is unlikely. Marushchak said the RFPL found that Spartak did make a written guarantee to pay Sychyov a bonus fee, but since there was no definite timetable for it the club escaped punishment after it finally paid the money on August 20.

However, the payment seems to have come too late to lure Sychyov back.

Many Russian soccer experts agreed that Sychyov had won the case and blamed the country’s labour law as well as Spartak.

After sitting out for four months, he can sign for any club he wants and the RFPL can’t do much about it,” one source said.

“On one hand, they (RFPL) are governed by FIFA, on the other they have to follow Russian labour law, which often contradicts the existing rules of football.”