Three prominent football players ask for compensation of 700,000 Slovak crowns, Payers’ complaint in court

Zdroj: Pravda, Michal Zeman

Three prominent Slovak football players have filed a complaint against S.I.T. Company and Sport Progress, marketing partner of Slovak Football Association, asking for 700,000 Slovak crowns as compensation for damages.

We are talking about Juraj Czinege, Marián Čišovský and Eduard Hrnčár. For the first time in history, Slovak players are seeking to protect their rights this way. The three national players, who in September of last year participated in the Olympic Games, reacted this way after they were featured on billboards next to he registered brand name MARS (The product of S.I.T.) . during the August and September break. The players think that this is an absolutely undesirable connection of their names with the tobacco products. “ I have never agreed to something like this, and I think that such a connection is unfortunate,” claims the leader of Slovak Olympic team Juraj Czinege. He dominates the billboard – he is in the front, running and looking happy. Marián Čišovský and Eduard Hrnčár are featured behind him. On the billboard there was a logo: “I know what I want.” Czinege is asking for compensation for non-property damages – 300,000 Slovak crowns, and each of his two teammates are asking for compensation of 200,000 Slovak crowns. Czinege confirmed that he and his teammates were only asked for their photographs to be taken for the billboards, in order to promote the Olympic Games and the participation of Slovak football players in Sydney.

” The football players never agreed – neither in oral nor in written form – with the connection of their names with such an advertisement. They never signed any contracts or Statute of National Player with the Slovak Football Association or Sport Progress that would determine their responsibilities for doing this. Their consent was imperative,” explains Jozef Tokoš, director of P.L.A.Y. agency, which exclusively represents Czinege. He also has clients such as Szilárd Németh, Pavol Sedlák and other football players. After protests raised by different parties, within a few days the brand name MARS on the billboards was covered by a football.

”The whole case lasted for several months. Our initial aim was to reach agreement outside the courtroom,” continued Tokoš, “ but we did not reach an understanding. We believe that the lawsuit is the last resort. Representatives of the S.I.T. Company confirmed signing an expensive contract with Sport Progress in order to avoid similar disputes dealing with personal rights.” Sport Progress clearly assumed that players would not protest – as had previously been the case. “Legal protection of players is minimal in this direction,” affirms Tokoš. “I think there are many cases similar to this one, but this is the only case where sportsmen are seeking to protect their rights.”