Mazembe: An “amicable” separation to avoid a difficult trial
TP Mazembe, an emblematic club of the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently announced its decision to part ways “amicably” with two of its players, Ismaël Ganiyu and Youssifou Atte. The move comes as the club faced a legal dispute with the two players, who accused it of failing to respect the terms of their contract and not paying them the agreed signing bonus.
Last August, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed the conviction of TP Mazembe by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber for violating the terms of the employment contracts with Ganiyu and Atte. Faced with this situation, the club would have sought a solution to avoid potential sporting and legal sanctions.
Thus, TP Mazembe announced that it had reached an agreement for the termination of the contracts of the two players. According to the club’s press release, Ismaël Ganiyu and TP Mazembe have signed a settlement agreement putting an end to the ongoing actions before the sporting authorities. For his part, Youssifou Atte also reportedly agreed to an amicable termination of contract and left Lubumbashi to return to his native country, Togo.
According to information from FifPro, the two players had signed a five-year employment contract in January 2021. However, upon their arrival at the club, they suffered a reduction in their salary, decided by TP Mazembe. In July 2021, the club reportedly asked players to sign an unfairly worded contract termination, which they refused to comply with. Despite their multiple attempts at dialogue, the players would never have obtained a satisfactory response from the club.
This “amicable” separation seems to be a favorable outcome for TP Mazembe in order to avoid a trial and potential sanctions. However, it also raises questions about contractual practices and respect for players’ rights within the club. It is essential that football clubs ensure that contracts and obligations towards their players are respected, in order to preserve the integrity of the sport and the rights of athletes.
In conclusion, the “amicable” separation between TP Mazembe and its players, Ismaël Ganiyu and Youssifou Atte, puts an end to a potentially harmful legal dispute for the club. However, this case highlights the importance of respecting contracts and players’ rights within professional football.