The Sell-On Clause in the Football Player Transfer Agreement
The old club and the new club may agree on a sell-on clause in the football player transfer agreement. Thus, the new club is obliged to pay the old club a portion of the fee received from the transfer of the player to the third club. The sell on clause becomes effective when a player is transferred from the new club to a third club and the new club receives a fee from this transfer. The parties may freely determine the sell-on clause in accordance with the principle of freedom of contract, provided that it does not contravene Article 18bis of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (FIFA RSTP) and the rule of good faith and equity. A legal dispute may arise when the parties have not agreed on the details of the sell-on clause. In this case, the interpretation should be based on the words used by the parties in the sell-on clause. Other provisions in the contract, non-contractual events, customs, and traditions should also be considered. In this article, the concept of a sell-on clause is explained. The case groups on disputes related to the sell-on clause are discussed. In this context, relevant Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decisions are explained and evaluated. Finally, the issues regarding the calculation of the amount according to the sell-on clause and the payment schedule of this amount are examined.
Futbolcu Transfer Sözleşmesinde Sonraki Satıştan Pay
Eski kulüp ile yeni kulüp arasındaki futbolcu transfer sözleşmesinde sonraki satıştan pay kararlaştırılabilir. Böylece yeni kulübün futbolcunun üçüncü kulübe transferinden elde ettiği bedelin bir kısmını eski kulübe ödemesi borcu doğar. Sonraki satıştan pay, futbolcunun yeni kulüpten üçüncü kulübe transfer olması ve yeni kulübün bu transferden bedel elde etmesi ile hüküm ve sonuçlarını doğurur. Taraflar sonraki satıştan pay hükmünü, Uluslararası Futbol Federasyonları Birliği (FIFA) Futbolcuların Statüsü ve Transferleri Talimatı (Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players) madde 18bis’e ve dürüstlük kuralı ile hakkaniyete aykırı olmamak kaydıyla sözleşme özgürlüğü ilkesi çerçevesinde serbestçe belirleyebilirler. Sonraki satıştan paya ilişkin uyuşmazlıklarda, tarafların sonraki satıştan pay hükmünde kullandıkları kelimeler esas alınarak; ihtiyaç duyulursa sözleşmedeki diğer hükümler, sözleşme dışı olaylar, örf, adet ve teamüller de göz önünde bulundurularak yorum yapılmalıdır. Uygulamada, yeni kulübün üçüncü kulüple geçici transfer sözleşmesi yapması, futbolcunun yeni kulüple sözleşmesini yenilemesi, futbolcunun yeni kulüple olan sözleşmesini feshetmesi, yeni kulübün üçüncü kulüple karşılıklı futbolcu transferi yapması, yeni kulübün futbolcunun mali haklarının bir kısmını üçüncü kulübe devretmesi, yeni kulübün dürüstlük kuralına aykırı davranması ve yeni kulüp ile üçüncü kulüp arasındaki futbolcu transfer sözleşmesinde muvazaa hâllerinde sonraki satıştan paya ilişkin uyuşmazlıklar çıkabilmektedir. Bu makalede öncelikle futbolcu transfer sözleşmesinde sonraki satıştan pay kavramı açıklanmaktadır. Uygulamada sonraki satıştan paya ilişkin uyuşmazlıkların ortaya çıktığı olay gruplarına değinilmektedir. Bu kapsamda ilgili Spor Tahkim Mahkemesi (CAS) kararları anlatılmakta ve değerlendirilmektedir. Son olarak, yeni kulübün sonraki satıştan pay hükmü uyarınca eski kulübe ödemesi gereken miktarın hesaplanmasında esas alınacak üçüncü kulübe yapılan transferin bedeli ve sonraki satıştan payın ödeme planına ilişkin hususlar incelenmektedir.
The sell-on clause is agreed in the football player transfer agreement between the old club and the new club and entitles the old club to claim a portion of the transfer fee from the new club when the player transfers to a third club. This provision may be freely agreed between the old club and the new club within the framework of the principle of freedom of contract. However, the sell-on clause must not contravene Article 18bis of the Fédération I nternationale de Football Association Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (FIFA RSTP) and the rule of good faith and equity. The sell-on clause is a conditional obligation. Therefore, for this provision to be effective, the player must transfer from the new club to the third club, and the new club must receive a transfer fee for this transfer. In the period before the sell-on clause becomes effective, the new club must not prevent the transfer of the player to the third club by acting contrary to the rule of good faith. Otherwise, the condition is deemed fulfilled and the new club is obliged to pay the old club based on the fee determined in accordance with equity.
The old club and the new club may agree on the details regarding the sell-on clause in the football player transfer agreement. However, in practice, some agreements do not include the details of the sell-on clause. In such cases, a legal dispute may arise between the parties. In disputes regarding the sell-on clause, the sell-on clause must be interpreted. During the interpretation, the words used by the parties in the sell-on clause should be the basis. Other provisions in the contract, non-contractual events, customs, and traditions should also be considered. In practice, disputes regarding the sell-on clause may arise in the following cases: (1) the new club makes a loan of professionals with the third club, (2) the footballer renews his contract with the new club, (3) the footballer unilaterally terminates his contract with the new club, (4) the new club exchanges the footballer with the third club, (5) the new club transfers a portion of the economic rights of the footballer to the third club, (6) the new club acts against the rule of good faith and (7) simulation in the footballer transfer agreement between the new club and the third club. Most disputes are resolved by examining the words in the sell-on clause. In these disputes, a decision can be reached by interpreting the words used in the sell-on clause, especially by determining whether the word “sale” or the word “transfer” is used in this provision. Since both the old club and the new club are experienced in contracts related to football, it may be assumed that they could consciously choose the words used in the contract and foresee the consequences. On the other hand, in some disputes, a decision can be reached by determining the true and common intention of the parties instead of using unclear expressions in the contract. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) also uses these methods in its decisions.
When the sell-on clause becomes effective, the amount to which the old club is entitled must be calculated. In the football player transfer agreement between the old club and the new club, it may be agreed that the sell-on clause will be calculated by considering the gross or net transfer fee. If there is no agreement regarding this, the sell-on clause should be calculated on the basis of the transfer fee in the football player transfer agreement between the new club and the third club. If the mandatory costs of the transfer are to be paid by the third club, the sell-on clause is calculated on the amount obtained after deduction of these costs. On the other hand, if the mandatory costs are to be paid by the new club, they cannot be deducted from the transfer fee. However, if the third club has paid an amount different from the transfer fee in the football player transfer agreement between the new club and the third club, the calculation should be made taking into account the actual payment. The payment schedule of the sell-on clause is set according to the payment schedule of the transfer fee in the football player transfer agreement between the new club and the third club.
