Senegal in marching order, for justice and the honor of football. The message was quite clear this Thursday morning during a press conference organized by the Senegalese general staff to explain the steps taken after the decision of the African Confederation to give victory to Morocco on the green carpet during the CAN final.
The hearing of the appeal jury, “a play”
The Lions of Terenga are now engaged in a “moral and legal crusade” to confront “the grossest administrative robbery in history”, insisted the president of the Senegalese Federation (FSF) Abdoulaye Fall, accompanied by his secretary general Abdoulaye Sow and an army of six lawyers, all present at his side in the crowded room of the Image 7 agency, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.
It was they, then, who took over to support the words of the great leader. The day after the appeal was officially filed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the shock team made up of Senegalese, French, Spanish and Swiss counsel showed its confidence in the outcome of the procedure. “If the football world lets it happen, if the CAS lets it happen, then the winner of the next World Cup could also be decided in the courts,” thundered Maître Seydou Diagne. There is no longer any point in opening big football academies, just train great lawyers, that will be the best way to have stars on your jerseys. »
Beyond the broad phrases, the lawyers first explained how the famous hearing of March 17 took place, leading to this decision. A “play”, they denounce, to the point that the decision of the CAF appeal jury “cannot even be considered a real legal decision, it is so crude, absurd and irrational”. The Senegalese clan assures, for example, that it never received the elements which motivated the decision.
Senegal lost, but Morocco did not win
“As we speak, nine days later, the president of the court has not even adjourned the session yet! “, said Mr. Diagne, who said he learned from his Moroccan colleagues that the hearing was over while he had been waiting for hours in the waiting room after having been entitled to five minutes to plead his case.
So much for the form. As for the substance, a lot of vagueness still surrounds this story. According to Me Diagne, Morocco had made four requests to CAF: to note that the Senegal team had withdrawn from the field; see the 3-0 victory on the green carpet; that the title be withdrawn from Senegal; that the medals, prize money and all rewards be returned to him. “According to the system notified to us, the first two requests were accepted, but the last two were rejected,” he reveals. The request for restitution of the title, and therefore of the coronation of Morocco, is rejected. » In other words, we find ourselves in a situation where Senegal lost, but Morocco did not win. Ubuesque.
The rest will therefore be played out before the CAS. Joined the team as a specialist in Swiss jurisdiction, Spanish lawyer Juan Crespo-Perez is confident. “We have arguments. I’m not going to reveal them all here, but we have the law and justice on our side, he says. I am certain that we have 100% the right to receive this title. The error made by the appeal jury on the restitution of the title is fundamental. Will CAF change this final decision? As a lawyer, I am amazed at what happened, and I am curious to see how they will get out of this. »
Normally, a procedure before the CAS lasts nine to twelve months. The Senegalese clan will request an accelerated procedure, in order to resolve this sad story within two months. But CAF and Morocco still need to accept this principle.
At the same time, another judicial aspect will probably open for suspicions of corruption within the CAF. The Senegalese government put forward the idea the day after the announcement of the appeal jury, and the legal team put in place since then has been working on it. Me Aly Fall specifies:
« We are not talking about corruption at the moment, but we have legitimate suspicions. When a decision cannot be understood by reason, when it defies all the rules of the game and ethics, when it brings discredit to the institution that is CAF, there are reasons to ask questions and investigate. »
“Our opponents want a poisoned medal. What is this poison? Perhaps corruption, says Serge Vittoz, a recognized figure in sports law. In any case, there is something wrong, something that could be rotten. For us lawyers, it’s called criminal. We will carry out the necessary investigations so that one day we can say that a complaint has been filed. And that day is not necessarily very far away. »
Our complete file on the CAN
While waiting for justice to pass, Senegal will present its trophy this Saturday during an exceptional friendly match organized at the Stade de France against Peru. Questioned several times on the subject, the president of the FSF made it clear that he never thought of canceling this presentation with great fanfare. “The players are very motivated, there will be a lot of people at the stadium, it’s a big meeting for us,” proclaims Abdoulaye Fall. “We are fighting against a phantom decision, which is not motivated. Legally, Senegal is still champion of Africa,” recalls Me Vittoz to drive the point home.
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