On 4 July 2025, the Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT) rendered a landmark judgment (enclosed) annulling a CAS award in CAS 2023/A/9636, Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC v. Antonio Vutov & FIFA. The case arose out of a contractual dispute between a Hungarian club and a Bulgarian player. The key issue was whether the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) and, by extension, CAS had jurisdiction, despite an exclusive jurisdiction clause designating Hungarian labor courts. Insight by Georgi Gradev, Partner at SILA International Lawyers.
The ruling is significant because it reaffirms the primacy of national labor courts in certain international football disputes, mandates strict interpretation of arbitration clauses and underscores the SFT’s supervisory authority over CAS jurisprudence.
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