CAS upholds the appeal filed by FAA & Nedim Bajrami for change of association from Switzerland to Albania

Lausanne, 30 August 2021 - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the appeal filed by the Football Association of Albania (FAA) and the player Nedim Bajrami against the decision issued by the Single Judge of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee dated 27 May 2021 (the Challenged Decision). In the Challenged Decision, the request filed by the FAA in respect of Mr Bajrami for change of association from Switzerland to Albania was denied.

On 23 June 2021, the FAA and Nedim Bajrami filed an appeal at the CAS against the Challenged Decision. The parties agreed to an expedited procedural calendar in order for a final decision to be issued on or before 31 August 2021. The Panel held a hearing on 24 August 2021 by videoconference and issued its decision today.

The CAS Panel upheld the appeal and annulled the Challenged Decision. The CAS Panel granted the request made by the FAA in respect of Mr Bajrami for change of association from Switzerland to Albania under Article 9 of the Rules Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes, which provides that:

1. A player may, only once, request to change the association for which he is eligible to play to the association of another country of which he holds nationality.
2. A request to change association may be granted only in the following circumstances:
a) the player:

i) was fielded in a match in an official competition at any level (with the exception of “A” international level) in any kind of football for his current association; and
ii) at the time of being fielded for his first match in an official competition in any kind of football for his current association, he already held the nationality of the association which he wishes to represent.

The Panel considered that Nedim Bajrami never played with the Swiss national team (Switzerland A) and already held the Albanian nationality.

The full award, with the grounds for the Panel’s decision, will be issued to the parties at a later stage.

The original article can be found here.