The date is known, but the outcome remains highly uncertain. According to the Russian media, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will consider the appeal filed by eight Russian football clubs against FIFA before the end of November. They are challenging the international body’s decision, announced shortly after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, to allow foreign players and coaches to unilaterally suspend their contracts with Russian clubs without fear of prosecution. FIFA announced in June that it was extending until the summer of 2023 the policy, which Russian clubs deemed “discriminatory” and contrary to “principles of contractual stability.” Eight teams – Zenit St Petersburg, Dynamo Moscow, CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, Rubin Kazan, Sochi, Krasnodar and Rostov – have appealed to CAS. The hearing is scheduled for 21 November. As a reminder, Russian national teams and clubs are suspended from all competitions by FIFA and UEFA. The Russian Football Federation (RFU) had appealed to CAS against this exclusion, but its case was dismissed in July.
