Jamal Bhuyan, captain of the Bangladeshi national football team, had dreams of glory when he signed a contract with Argentinian club Sol de Mayo, last year. But those dreams turned sour when, despite scoring goals and impressing fans, the club stopped paying his salary!
Bhuyan wouldn't be silenced. He took a stand and, with the backing of FIFA, just scored a major victory! The world's football governing body slapped Sol de Mayo with a red card, ordering them to pay Bhuyan a whopping $162,980 (around 1.9 crore taka) within 45 days!
This win means Bhuyan gets his full unpaid salary, with interest, and additional compensation for the mess Sol de Mayo created. It's a big win not just for Bhuyan, but for all players who deserve fair treatment from their clubs.
During his limited playing time, Bhuyan managed to make a positive impact, scoring two goals in just four appearances for the club. Unfortunately, due to a persistent failure by Sol de Mayo to fulfil their financial obligations, Bhuyan was left with no choice but to unilaterally terminate the contract.
Following the contract termination, Bhuyan's team, likely a legal representative or players' union acting on his behalf, submitted a formal complaint to FIFA regarding the outstanding dues owed by Sol de Mayo. This complaint was successfully processed, leading to a significant ruling from the FIFA Football Tribunal on Wednesday.
The presiding judge, André dos Santos Megale, a Brazilian national, issued a verdict in Bhuyan's favour. The ruling mandated Sol de Mayo to pay a total of $162,980 into Bhuyan's bank account. This sum translates to approximately 1 crore 90 lakh in Bangladeshi taka.
Expressing his delight with the FIFA tribunal's decision, Bhuyan provided a statement: "I embarked on this journey to Argentina with a great deal of hope, eager to play for Sol de Mayo. I spent a considerable amount of time with the club, but they consistently failed to meet their financial commitments towards me. This ultimately left me with no option but to prematurely terminate the contract. Subsequently, I lodged a complaint with FIFA. I am absolutely thrilled with the outcome."
The total sum awarded by the tribunal includes compensation for Bhuyan's seven months of unpaid salary, amounting to $12,000. Additionally, the ruling factors in five percent interest on the unpaid wages, bringing the total related amount to $74,780.
Sol de Mayo Club has been given a strict deadline of 45 days to settle the outstanding amount in full. Bhuyan admitted his surprise at the unprofessional conduct displayed by the Argentinian club: "To be perfectly honest, I never anticipated encountering such behaviour. Despite having a contract valid until October of this year, I was forced to break it due to their evident financial mismanagement. I left the club and haven't had any contact with them since. Finally, after filing a complaint with FIFA through a lawyer, I've received this verdict."
