The situation involving Papiss Demba Cissé’s suspension and the dispute between the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) and Newcastle has certainly attracted attention. It appears that the dispute revolves around Cissé not responding to the national team’s call-up for the match against Niger and the subsequent actions taken by the Senegalese football authorities.
Newcastle reportedly lost the match against Swansea (2-1), and the club expressed its intention to consult legal advisors to determine how to address the situation with the FSF and/or FIFA. This suggests that there might be disagreement over the handling of Cissé’s availability for international duty.
It’s not the first time Newcastle and the Senegalese football authorities have been in a dispute over the release of players. The club had previously refused to release Cissé for the Senegal Olympic team based on international regulations.
The Senegalese football federation, unhappy with Cissé not responding to the national team’s summons, contacted FIFA to prevent him from playing against Swansea. Despite Cissé’s late apology, it seems that tensions persisted.
These kinds of disputes between clubs and national teams over player availability are not uncommon in football, and they often involve complex issues related to international regulations and the interests of both the clubs and the national teams.
