FIFA forces club to pay debt to russians in circumvention of sanctions

The Dutch investigative platform Follow The Money, relaunched in Italy by L'Espresso, has conducted an investigation according to which FIFA is systematically pressuring several clubs, including Atalanta, to pay debts to russian clubs, Tuttosport reports. In fact, FIFA is forcing clubs to ignore international sanctions imposed on russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

The pressure mechanism is quite banal: clubs must pay transfer fees within 45 days or face dire sporting consequences, namely an 18-month transfer ban (three consecutive transfer windows). According to published documents, this threat ignores the freezing of banking operations, exclusion from the SWIFT system, and legislative restrictions imposed by Western governments against Moscow.

In August 2020, Atalanta signed Oleksiy Miranchuk for €14.5 million, to be paid in five instalments. The Italian club did not pay the fourth instalment, which was due in April 2022, after russia's war against Ukraine had already begun. Atalanta cited the fact that Lokomotiv, from which they signed Miranchuk, belongs to russian Railways, which is under EU sanctions.

This is not the only such case: a similar situation arose in Udinese due to the transfer of Jak Biola from Moscow's CSKA, as well as with Salernitana, which, despite its will, was involved in a possible financial fraud scheme.

However, there was a glimmer of hope on the legal front: in May 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne upheld West Ham's appeal regarding the transfer of Nikola Vlasic. It was ruled that payment to russia was impossible and that FIFA's proposals for alternative banking channels were an improper attempt to circumvent sanctions. This case may provide legal protection for Atalanta and other clubs facing similar problems with FIFA.

Source: Football 24