Olubor Uyi Esq.

THE LEGAL CAPACITY OF FOOTBALL FEDERATION'S TO WITHHOLD INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER CERTIFICATES (by Olubor Uyi) Some couple of days ago, the President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), while admonishing home-based players called up to battle the Mexican 'A' team. In his address, he stated that players who have been called up would not be allowed to relocate to mushroom leagues. And that the Football Federation would go the extra length in ensuring that it does not issue International Transfer Certificates to release players to play in these leagues. Now, the question is to what extent can a Football Federation dictate the career path of a footballer? In addition, can a Federation subject the release of an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) to its whims and caprices? In answering the first question, whether a Football Federation can dictate a career path to a footballer? The answer is no. As a football Federation does not stand as an employer to players flying the...

THE SUPER LEAGUE AND ITS LEGAL ACROBATICS  (by Olubor Uyi) The 19th of April would forever remain a memorable day for soccer fans across the globe. It would be remembered as a day when 12 of some of the biggest clubs in Europe attempted to break the tradition and cultural system of European football of reward and consequence in lieu of the U.S franchise system.   I can't remember in recent history any story that has reverberated through  the world of sports like the breaking news of April 19th when all the major news channels began to report live. Business experts giving their two cents on the pros and cons of a break away league, various European governments condemning and reproaching the '12 conspirators' and threatening to do all withing their purview to ensure the European soccer league (ESL) does not see the light of day. Then came the big bang when the president of UEFA Aleksander Ceferin declared that teams who participate in the break away league would get su...