Ribeiro vs. Sundowns: Legal Battle Heats Up!
The saga surrounding Brazilian footballer Lucas Ribeiro Costa and Mamelodi Sundowns continues, with his lawyer, Jean-Louis Dupont, aggressively pursuing free-agent status and the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) for his client. This would pave the way for Ribeiro to join Spanish second-tier side Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa without a transfer fee.
Dupont, a renowned expert in sports and European law, is invoking the landmark Diarra ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to justify Ribeiro's move. He insists that FIFA or the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) must allow Ribeiro's registration to avoid violating the Diarra ruling, which protects player mobility.
The Diarra Ruling: A Game Changer?
The Lassana Diarra case challenged FIFA's transfer regulations, arguing they violated EU laws on worker mobility. Dupont believes Ribeiro should be the first player to directly benefit from this ruling in African football.
Ribeiro unilaterally terminated his contract with Sundowns on August 1, 2025, aiming to leverage the Diarra ruling for a "FREE-MAHALA" transfer to Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa. However, Sundowns is resisting the release of the ITC, escalating the dispute to FIFA's Football Tribunal.
High Stakes for Player Mobility
This case has significant implications for player mobility within Africa. If Ribeiro succeeds, it could set a precedent, allowing players greater freedom to move between clubs, potentially impacting the transfer market significantly. The coming weeks will be crucial as FIFA's Football Tribunal reviews the case and determines whether Ribeiro will be granted his free-agent status and ITC.
The resolution to this dispute is expected to take months, but the pressure is on for a swift decision to allow Ribeiro to continue his career with Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa.