Nong Bua Pitchaya Overturns 6.1M Baht FIFA Order at CAS
Nong Bua Pitchaya FC has won an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, overturning a FIFA order to pay 6.1 million baht to foreign players and agents for alleged wrongful contract termination. CAS dismissed the case after the club proved that signatures on submitted documents were forged, saving the club from a financial crisis that nearly led to its dissolution.
Nong Bua Pitchaya FC will not have to pay a combined 6.1 million baht over allegations of wrongful contract termination by foreign players and agents, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) threw out the case on grounds of document forgery. The club, known as the "Fighting Cocks," which previously played in Thailand's top flight, had been ordered by FIFA to compensate the players around 6.1 million baht for allegedly terminating contracts unlawfully. The order came after the club missed FIFA's deadline to submit explanations, nearly forcing the management to dissolve the club. A second, similar case saw Nong Bua submit documents in time, leading FIFA to rule in the club's favor and dismiss a 2 million baht claim. In the first case, Nong Bua's legal team appealed to CAS, presenting evidence of forged documents submitted to the tribunal. CAS recently accepted the appeal and overturned FIFA's original ruling that required Nong Bua to pay 6.1 million baht, making the club the prevailing party in a dispute it did not initiate.
