Right but the rule that they are challenging is the transfer between 2 EU nation clubs being 16 yrs or older, and since he was contracted to a non EU club we and FIFA broke the rules (granted its FIFA's rule that they supposedly broke), I'm just concerned and hope someone with more knowledge than me can explain that we are in the clear with this one
So the questions are:
1. Was he still contracted to Sarsfeld at the time he left for Europe?
2. If no, then there's no issue. The lad flew to Europe and then exercised his EEA treaty rights as an Italian national to come and live/work in the UK.
3. If yes, then is he eligible under FIFA rules to move to another club once he turns 16, regardless of whether he has a contract elsewhere (ie. can he walk out on Sarsfeld without recrimination)? If yes, then again there's no issue.
The one aspect of this I don't like is that the boy flew to Europe on his 16th birthday and then on to the UK the following day. Can Sarsfeld argue that he had to have been tapped up for him to sign for City so quickly, given that the Argentinian club had refused our approaches for the lad when he was still 15?
FIFA have got Gill at the helm, ergo they are untrustworthy cnuts. I wouldn't put anything past them in terms of not having taken action against us, knowing that the next option for Sarsfeld would be to take the matter to CAS where there is no right of appeal.
All I can say is that City must be super confident about the matter, given that we haven't settled out of court so to speak
