Possible suspension of Vinícius: «There may be a conflict of interests on the field»
There is a possibility that the Real Madrid player could be banned from football for two years
Fábio Bassan is a lawyer and was responsible for the complaint filed with FIFA this week against Vinícius Júnior . The representative of Tiberis Holding explained to Sky Sports Italy why the Real Madrid player could have a conflict of interest when acquiring football clubs such as Alverca and Athletic Club de São João del-Rei – the purchase of the latter was what prompted the complaint.
“The FIFA Ethics Committee, which is binding on all members, was amended in 2023. Among the main changes is the new Article 20, which regulates conflicts of interest. The rule considers not only actual conflicts, but also potential ones, precisely to prevent them. The code is not limited to registered members, but also extends to related parties, such as family members up to the third degree or employees,” he begins by explaining.
The company that acquired those two clubs – ALL Agenciamento Desportivo – has only two partners, says Bassan: “Vini’s father and his agent. Both fall within the definition of a related party and are therefore subject to FIFA’s conflict of interest rules.
«Vini could see himself playing against one of his own players»
Fábio also said how a conflict of interest situation could arise on the field, while the company linked to Vinícius Júnior owns and controls clubs.
«If a club owned by Vinícius loans a player to a LaLiga team , Vinícius could find himself playing against one of his own players. In these circumstances, even unintentionally, it could favour him or influence his performance» “The player may be interested in valuing his own athlete or, on the contrary, he may feel conditioned when facing the employer,” he stated.
From fines to suspension
FIFA’s Ethics Committee will now review the complaint and decide whether “there are grounds for opening proceedings. If it finds that there are grounds for opening proceedings, the case will be passed to a second deliberative committee, which will make the final decision,” Bassan explained.
The decision is still subject to appeal, which can be submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but if the Committee finds that the Real Madrid player has breached the code, the Brazilian would risk anything from a fine to a two-year suspension from all football activities.
