FIFA has decided: Zilina lost the dispute with its former player and must pay. Harsh sanctions loom for MSK

Slovak football vice-champion MŠK Žilina must compensate its former player Besir Demiri (26), or it risks facing sanctions in the form of a transfer ban for up to three transfer windows.

The football club from under Dubňová Hill is being punished for a radical step taken at the end of March this year, when—after the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic—it entered liquidation and subsequently released 17 players from its squad. These players had reportedly refused the club’s proposed pay cuts. Among those dismissed was Skopje-born Besir Demiri, who, as a foreign player, turned to FIFA for help. The world football governing body has now ruled in favor of the Albanian footballer. According to sport.sk, MŠK Žilina must pay him €180,000 along with a 5% interest rate. Žilina has 45 days to make the payment. If it fails to do so, it faces sanctions in the form of a transfer ban lasting three windows—whether for domestic or foreign players.

If MŠK’s management fails to pay the player within the given timeframe, the case will be returned to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. Despite Demiri winning the case, MŠK Žilina still has the option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“The Union of Football Professionals co-represented the player in this matter and provided assistance throughout the case. This is a decision from FIFA that we anticipated and warned about at the time when the situation was unfolding. However, since the decision is not yet final, we will not comment further,” said the union’s advisor Jozef Tokos for sport.sk.

According to sport.sk, other released Žilina players are now planning to come forward, demanding compensation for the money they lost due to the premature termination of their contracts. Since September, Besir Demiri has been playing for the Albanian club FK Kukesi.