Discovered a case similar to Gwangju's 'Controversy over Unqualified Players'...FIFA disciplined the association

Discovered a case similar to Gwangju's 'Controversy over Unqualified Players'...FIFA disciplined the association

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In conclusion, Gwangju, which violated the ban on recruiting players for non-payment of solidarity contributions, is likely to be "not guilty" in accordance with FIFA's precedent.

A similar case to Gwangju occurred years ago in the League of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congolese club Motema Fembe did not pay properly in the process of recruiting two foreign players in 2019. When disputes arose between the clubs, FIFA intervened. FIFA demanded that Motema fulfill its financial obligations within a certain period of time, but when Motema refused to comply with the requirements, they began disciplinary proceedings. FIFA announced a three-year ban on recruiting players from 2020 to 2022 after passing through the Dispute Resolution Committee, the Disciplinary Committee, and the Player Status Committee.

The problem is that players were recruited during the disciplinary period. Motema recruited Nuhan Conde, Omba Nelson Munganga, Riyadh Norodien and Njau Mbouangi one after another in October 2021. In January 2022, they also had Platini Mpiana Monzhi and Happy Tagalani Mashau. After confirming the additional recruitment of six players, FIFA targeted the FECOFA, the registered players of the Congo League and the highest ranking organization in the country's soccer, rather than disciplining the club. In July 2023, FIFA's decision stated, 'FECOFA shall take responsibility for failing to comply with FIFA's final decision by registering (new) players, despite FIFA's ban on registration with Motema, a club affiliated with the organization.' FECOFA protested that some of its employees were negligent, but FIFA determined that the negligence of its employees was also the responsibility of the organization. In response, FIFA imposed a total of 100,000 Swiss francs (current exchange rate of about 167 million won) on FECOFA, including fines and additional fines, and imposed a six-month suspension. The fine was given within 30 days from the date of notification of the decision, and the organization ordered the completion of the registration-related education program provided by FIFA within six months.

Motema's case seems to be similar to the Gwangju incident this time. Gwangju was banned from recruiting players by FIFA for failing to pay Asani's solidarity contribution, which it recruited in 2023. Solidarity contribution is money that a professional player is paid when he or she moves to another country's team internationally before the contract expires and there is a transfer fee. Clubs that recruit players through transfer must pay a certain percentage of solidarity contributions to each team that the player belonged to from the age of 12 to the age of 23. Gwangju has failed to pay 3,100 U.S. dollars in solidarity contributions to FIFA's clearing house within the fixed period. Despite receiving official letters from FIFA on the payment of solidarity contributions in September and December last year, it was banned from registering players as of December 17 last year due to reasons such as inexperienced work of employees and handover. Gwangju protested that it was a remittance error, not intentional non-payment. However, Gwangju, which was not aware of the disciplinary action, recruited more than 10 players, including Hayes, Park In-hyuk, Park Jung-in, Ju Se-jong, Jin Si-woo, and Min Sang-ki, through the winter transfer market in January, during the disciplinary period. It is the same as the case of Mothema: "We recruited players despite FIFA's ban on recruitment due to cost payment, and the fact that the association registered players."

With some clubs and soccer players voicing their voices that all games in which Gwangju's unqualified players should be confiscated and lost, the Korea Football Association (KFA) effectively exonerated Gwangju players, saying in a statement on the 16th, "It is an accident caused by an unintentional administrative mistake, and therefore it is too much to judge the players in Gwangju who have played in the games so far as "unqualified players." "Rather than overturning the results of the last game by defining the players as unqualified players, we believe that it is more important to recognize the results of the previous game to ensure the qualification of players who are not attributable to them and to secure the stability of the tournament and league," he added. He stressed that "the association's judgment is separate from the possibility of disciplinary action against FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) association and Gwangju." Gwangju admitted that it was the club's obvious fault and remitted the joint contribution and fine for delay in payment to FIFA on the 13th, and is waiting for FIFA's answer. The inside of the club is optimistic that it will be removed from the recruitment ban after the confirmation process of past payment attempts and remittance. The case of Congolese club Motema stipulates that not only clubs that have been banned from registration but also associations can be subject to disciplinary action. 메이저놀이터

However, the Asian Football Confederation's decision may differ from FIFA and KFA's. AFC forfeited and lost a match between Sanfrecce Hiroshima, a Japanese team that sent an illegal player to the Asian Champions League elite during the 2024-2025 season. Many soccer officials say that if the AFC imposes heavy penalties on Gwangju, which has reached the quarterfinals by participating in the tournament, the KFA and the Professional Football Federation will have no choice but to move in line.