Lack of CAS competence to review the case due to the parties’ clearly expressed will to submit disputes to State courts

CAS 2020/A/7520 Aleksandr Manyakov v. Mikhail Ignatov

Date of the decision: 2021-11-08

Arbitrator(s): Vladimir Novak

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) does not often uphold motions on its lack of jurisdiction to review a particular dispute. The dispute between the parties over CAS jurisdiction was focused on which has priority: the provisions of the Russian Football Union (FUR) regulations, which provide that such disputes are subject to appeal to the CAS, or the provisions of the agreement concluded by the parties, providing for the appeal of decisions of the FUR jurisdictional bodies to State courts. In this case, the CAS supported a Player’s position and agreed that, in the agreement concluded between him and an Agent, there was an explicit will to refer disputes to State courts, which clearly takes priority over FUR Regulations provisions.

Brief facts

The dispute between registered intermediary Aleksandr Manyakov (the Agent) and football player Mikhail Ignatov (the Player) started because of the Player’s unilateral termination of the...

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