Dutch club SC Heerenveen is seeking €3.1 million from CSKA Moscow, alleging unpaid fees from the transfer of Nigerian winger Chidera Ejuke four years ago.
Ejuke, who recently joined Sevilla from Royal Antwerp, initially moved to CSKA Moscow from Heerenveen in 2020 for a reported fee of around €11.5 million.
The transfer agreement allowed CSKA Moscow to pay the amount in instalments. However, Heerenveen claims the Russian club has failed to complete the final payment.
In response, Heerenveen has taken the matter to FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Despite these efforts, the club has yet to secure the outstanding funds.
“They agree with us, but unfortunately, there is still a difference between being right and getting your money,” said Ferry de Haan, general manager of Heerenveen, in an interview with VI.
The financial strain from the missing payment has impacted Heerenveen’s operations. Last Thursday, the club sold Osame Sahraoui to Lille for approximately €8 million.
De Haan expressed frustration that the unpaid transfer fee for Ejuke has affected their ability to reinvest in their squad. “If we had already received Ejuke’s transfer funds, we could have reinvested a larger part of Osame’s transfer fee into our selection,” he lamented.
Ejuke’s journey through European football has been notable. After his tenure at Heerenveen, he moved to CSKA Moscow, where he spent two years before joining Royal Antwerp.
This summer, Sevilla acquired the winger, who is already making a positive impression in Spain.
The legal tussle between Heerenveen and CSKA Moscow highlights the complexities of international transfers and the financial implications of unpaid fees.
For Heerenveen, resolving this dispute is crucial to stabilizing their finances and enabling further investment in their team.
As the case progresses, both FIFA and CAS’s decisions will be closely monitored, not only by the involved clubs but also by the broader football community.
The outcome could set a precedent for how unpaid transfer fees are handled in the future, potentially influencing the contractual agreements between clubs in upcoming transfers.
Meanwhile, SC Heerenveen remains hopeful that justice will prevail and the outstanding funds will be recovered, allowing the club to focus on its sporting ambitions without the shadow of financial uncertainty.
