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Keep Football out of the courts!

July 25th, 2007

Tevez saga set for High Court showdown

Teves at 23 must find this all very frustrating! The Carlos Tevez transfer saga is to be settled in the High Court after it emerged that the Argentine striker’s representatives are set to launch legal action against West Ham.

Tevez has agreed a move to Premiership champions Manchester United but the deal has been held up because Media Sports Investments (MSI), the company owned by Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian, claims it owns the economic rights to the player rather than the Hammers.

But Tevez, 23, is registered as a West Ham player and the London club insisted that they ripped up a contract giving MSI the rights to any transfer fee during an investigation into the details of the former Corinthians star’s move to Upton Park.

As a result West Ham believe they are due the money and FIFA, world football’s governing body, had on Tuesday recommended that the dispute be settled in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

West Ham are happy to abide by that decision as are the English Football Association (FA) and the Premier League, but Joorabchian has other ideas. He wants the deal wrapped up before the close of the transfer window on August 31, and is considering issuing a writ for damages in relation to an alleged breach of contract by West Ham.

FIFA had opted to bring in CAS following a high-level meeting with FA and Premier League officials in Zurich on Monday and spokesman Andreas Herren said: “Under the circumstances it was felt it would be in the best interest of all parties to take this course.

“It looks like being the fastest way of resolving this matter. It is not a refusal by FIFA to get involved, quite the contrary. It is a recommendation by FIFA to opt for this way.”

But the Premier League are keen for West Ham to contest Joorabchian’s claims because they contradict the verdict delivered after their investigation. Chief executive Richard Scudamore said: “For eight months now, we have been trying to resolve this issue as well as keeping the rule book intact. It is quite difficult.”

This item is contributed by the team at Gamebookers online sportsbook. Check them out is you’re after a good reliable bookmaker for the new season – and the latest in sports news around the world.