Ricardo Nascimento takes Royal AM dispute to FIFPro after FIFA ruling

Ricardo Nascimento’s long-running financial dispute with Royal AM is set to move forward after the former Brazilian defender’s legal representatives decided to pursue the matter through FIFPro.

Nascimento first took the case to FIFA in 2023, following unsuccessful efforts to settle his contract dispute directly with Royal AM. The defender had spent 15 months with the club before seeking legal intervention.

FIFA ruled in Nascimento’s favour and awarded him R600,000. The decision took effect in September 2023, with interest set at 5% per year.

Royal AM had still not complied four months later. As a result, FIFA imposed a transfer ban covering three registration windows on 15 January 2024.

The case has since become more complicated because Marcelo Robalinho, the agent who negotiated Nascimento’s move, also submitted a claim against the club. Robalinho says he was owed a 6% commission after helping arrange the defender’s transfer from Mamelodi Sundowns to Royal AM in February 2022.

The agent maintains that Royal AM had agreed to pay the commission.

Despite the club’s subsequent collapse, Nascimento has not abandoned his claim. Royal AM were expelled from the league during the 2024-25 season after a series of problems, while club boss Shawn Mkhize has since taken charge of Mbabane Highlanders in Eswatini.

Nascimento’s representatives are now preparing to continue the case with FIFPro, the international footballers’ union. The legal work is being handled by a new team at the law firm representing the player.

‘As a trade union, FIFPro defends and advances players’ rights, welfare and working conditions, engaging with governing bodies, leagues, and other stakeholders to ensure players’ voices are heard and respected.

‘FIFPro also provides research, legal support and collective action on issues like workload, health, equality, and career development,” states the trade union.

The move to involve FIFPro gives the dispute a fresh direction after FIFA had already issued a ruling and imposed sanctions on Royal AM for failing to make the required payment.

Nascimento, now 39, has retired from professional football. He spent five-and-a-half years with Mamelodi Sundowns and won 10 trophies during his time at the club.

His dispute with Royal AM dates back to his later period in South African football, following the move that brought him to the club from Sundowns in early 2022. The FIFA award and the subsequent transfer ban remain central to the case, while Robalinho’s separate commission claim has added another layer to the legal proceedings.

Royal AM’s expulsion from the league and Mkhize’s move to Mbabane Highlanders have changed the circumstances surrounding the club, but they have not brought Nascimento’s case to an end. His legal team will now seek support through FIFPro as it continues pursuing the money awarded by FIFA.