KNVB starts investigation into rules broken during transfer of Guus Til to PSV
Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 11:56 AM
28 football clubs in the EU may be guilty of violating sanctions against Russia, including the Dutch clubs PSV and NEC, reports research platform Follow the Money. The Eindhoven team reportedly acquired Guus Til from Spartak Moscow for three million euros in the summer of 2022. This would have been against the rules. The KNVB will now investigate whether European sanctions rules against Russia have been violated.
PSV now runs the risk of having violated sanctions ‘in some way’, according to international research led by Follow the Money. PSV paid three million euros a year and a half ago to secure the arrival of Til.
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However, paying a transfer fee to Russian clubs is contrary to the sanctions against Russia. Til’s transfer took place a few months after the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
PSV response
Jaap van Baar, the financial director at PSV, has been asked for a response by Follow the Money. “None of the stakeholders at Spartak Moscow were blacklisted. We did nothing wrong,” he said.
None of the owners or directors involved at Spartak Moscow are on the EU sanctions list, but Til’s transfer for PSV could still have an unpleasant side effect. The owner of Spartak Moscow, the oil company Lukoil, is on the American sanctions list.
“This is also relevant for European clubs such as PSV, because American sanctions also apply to companies and individuals abroad,” Follow the Money writes. “The United States also expects foreigners to comply with its sanctions as soon as there is a connection with the country – for example, if American companies are involved, a US company is a sponsor or if American infrastructure is used,” the research platform said.
KNVB
According to the research, the KNVB is also ‘possibly in trouble’. “By managing PSV’s money, intended for Spartak Moscow, the KNVB and its bank have become part of the transaction. The Dutch Football Association is also in danger of getting into trouble with the EU’s deposit ban. Many clubs claim “permission” from FIFA, but it states that compliance with sanctions is the responsibility of clubs.”
NEC
NEC is also still at risk of sanctions. The people of Nijmegen recruited Lars Olden Larsen last summer. The Norwegian winger reportedly came over from FK Pari Nizhny Novgorod for around 325,000 euros. NEC does not yet know how and whether it will transfer money to Russia.
The Eredivisionist has entered into discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the payment processing, NEC indicates. “Only when an agreement is reached from the Ministry can a payment be made. The Ministry will also conduct another check on the persons who are authorized to sign/are directors at Novgorod. Therefore, the premise is that no payment has yet been made. performed on Novgorod.”
The spokesperson did not want to tell FTM how and where NEC will keep the money from the transfer fee in the meantime. Nor is it whether the club has transferred the money to the KNVB.
KNVB response
The KNVB will now investigate whether any rules have been broken. “Under UEFA regulations, clubs are not allowed to have debts to other clubs,” a spokesperson for the football association told Algemeen Dagblad. “At the same time, sanctions rules apply that prohibit parties from paying to Russian clubs in certain situations.”
“To help clubs comply with UEFA regulations, it is possible, on instructions from UEFA, to pay an equal amount (temporarily) to the national association, so that a club does not benefit from being unable to pay the Russian club.”
The KNVB emphasizes that it has acted ‘in good faith’. “The sanctions legislation and regulations are very complex and subject to change. If something unexpectedly conflicts with the EU sanctions rules, we will of course take action to prevent this,” the spokesperson said.
2023-12-13 10:56:00
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