The Court of Arbitration for Sport has cleared Chelsea of having to pay Fiorentina €32m in connection with an agreement involving Mohamed Salah.
Fiorentina argued that in 2015 Chelsea had blocked the club from signing Salah. The midfielder had been loaned out to the Serie A. La Viola side claims that the agreement stipulated that after one year, the team could opt the extend the deal for an additional year. However, Salah never returned to Fiorentina.
However, Salah never returned to Fiorentina. Instead, he joined Italian rivals AS Roma, also on the basis of a loan deal. The Egyptian enjoyed a very good season at Roma, with his performances earning him a full transfer back to the Premier League. Salah joined Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, a team with high standards and big objectives for the new campaign. The transfer fee is rumoured to be circling around the figure of £40million.
Fiorentina took their case to court and demanded €32million in compensation, claiming that Chelsea had breached their contract. Salah’s improved form at Roma and his high-profile transfer, we imagine, did little to quench the anger of Fiorentina representatives.
The case first came to the attention of FIFA who dismissed the case as unfounded. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has now also given their verdict and clearing the charges against Chelsea, virtually ending the matter.
Meanwhile, Salah’s arrival at Liverpool has thrilled the side’s fans. His transfer is seen a clear signal of the club’s ambitions for the recent future. Manager Jurgen Klopp praised the player and his level of ambition. Klopp also believes that Salah has made a wise choice in opting to come to Liverpool and that the club has the potential to fulfil the player’s lofty ambitions. “He is an ambitious player who wants to win and win at the highest level; he knows he can fulfil those ambitions with Liverpool,” Klopp says.
