Exclusive: Nurkovic takes Royal AM to FIFA

Exclusive: Nurkovic takes Royal AM to FIFA

Royal AM will have to explain their decision to terminate striker Samir Nurkovic™s contract - just four months after signing him - to FIFA in the coming months, SABC Sport has established.

Speaking exclusively to the public broadcaster™s sport desk, the player™s legal representative Davor Lazic confirmed that they had approached the world football governing body and wanted the remainder of the player's two-year deal settled in full.

On 5 October,  SABC Sport obtained a letter addressed to Nurkovic by the club serving him a 30-day notice to leave because he was œinjured and had exhausted the period allowed for his recovery at the time.

Attempts then to obtain comment from AM and their lawyers proved futile and Lazic gave an update on his client, who is now a free agent.

œUnfortunately, it™s true. The club terminated his contract, according to our view, without just cause. Basically, what happened since the moment Samir joined the club, he wasn™t paid anything at all [since July]," Lazic told SABC Sport.

"So, sometime in September, as his attorney, we wrote a letter of infringement on his rights to the club and we expected his salary to be paid to him and [for everything] not to be dealt with in this manner."

It appears, however, that the club owned by flamboyant businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize are sticking to their guns.

œHowever, we were shocked by the response we received from the club™s own attorneys, stating that he is injured and therefore they would like to terminate his contract with one month's notice and basically that was it, added Lazic.

The striker™s status as an international player allows him to bypass the Premier Soccer League's Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) and go directly to the highest footballing body, which could lead to significant ramifications for Twihli Twahla.

Nurkovic joined from Kaizer Chiefs on a free transfer.

œWhat is interesting is that two days after the notice letter, he was in the starting line-up in the Macufe Cup, so he was not injured," Lazic stressed.

"The player did not play any official minutes and we again warned them that there are pending financial obligations, so there was no other option than for the player to address the issue with the FIFA tribunal and we did that two days ago."

The worst-case scenario, as noted in previous settlement dispute cases brought before FIFA, is the club being docked points. It now remains to be seen what the final outcome will be in a few months when the panel sits to discuss the merits of the case.

By Mazola Molefe