August 09, (THEWILL) – There has been a new development in the ongoing feud against world football governing body FIFA that led former Nigerian international and football coach Samson Siasia to a United States court to seek an overturning of the life ban slammed on him and a refund of the fine he paid due to the overturned FIFA charge.
The American court has issued a summons, backed with a 21-day ultimatum, and directed at FIFA, to respond to Siasia’s suit challenging his coach licence ban and indictment for bribery that resulted in that life ban.
The ultimatum came with the warning that the consequence of failing to comply with the summons will leave the court no alternative than to deliver a default judgement in favour of the Nigerian, whose life ban was reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) based on his appeal.
The text itself of the summons opened with the words: “A lawsuit has been filed against you,” and proceeded to explain that FIFA would have been entitled to 60 days to respond to the suit if it were to be the U.S. government, its agency, or employee.
It continued: ”The answer or motion must be served on the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney, whose name and address are: If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.”
As THEWILL reported, Siasia filed his suit at the US Court on August 2, 2021, to challenge what CAS determined to be a “disproportionate” penalty for a passive offence that did not earn Siasia any money in the end and “had not had an adverse or immediate effect on football stakeholders.”
THEWILL recalls that in its verdict published on August 16, 2019, FIFA, in addition to placing a lifetime ban on Siasia’s coaching licence, also imposed a monetary fine of 50,000 Swiss Francs on the former midfielder and national coach.
THEWILL believes Siasia’s suit leans heavily on his American citizenship and that aspect makes the legal path it will go an interesting development to follow.
Siasia’s legal counsel, Nitor V. Egbarin, filed the suit on his behalf and they made compelling arguments that FIFA has now been summoned to rebuff.
They made the argument that FIFA’s fine and the decision to revoke Siasia’s licence constituted “cruel and unusual punishment” which, as far as Siasia was concerned, “violated provisions of the Eighth Amendment of the US law.”
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.
