May 27, (THEWILL) – Cologne’s impending one-year suspension from player transfers, which was imposed by FIFA, has been provisionally halted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as it deliberates over an appeal lodged by the Bundesliga side.
The ban had been imposed by the world football governing body after it accused the club of enticing Slovenian teenager, Jaka Cuber Potocnik, to breach his contract with Olimpija Ljubljana and join Cologne in January 2022.
Additionally, a fine of €51,750 was levied on Cologne by a FIFA tribunal, while the club was barred from signing new players during the next two transfer windows. Potocnik, who was also subjected to a four-month suspension, has now had his ban temporarily lifted, as announced by Cologne.
According to the case, Potocnik’s departure from Olimpija was motivated by “multiple contractual violations” and the club did not play a role in influencing the young player to abandon his former team. Olimpija, on the other hand, has yet to provide a comment regarding this development.
Christian Keller, the managing director of Cologne, expressed satisfaction at the CAS ruling, stating that it allows the club to participate in the transfer market within the confines of their financial capabilities. Keller further affirmed the club’s commitment to completely overturning the FIFA ban.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
