In August 2024, AS Saint-Étienne signed Pierre Ekwah from Sunderland on loan with an option to buy.
The midfielder experienced top flight football for the first team with the French club. He played 29 matches in Ligue 1 last season. Saint-Étienne were relegated to the second division but that didn’t stop them from buying him from Sunderland.
Ekwah was surprised and unimpressed by this step. He refused to train with Saint-Étienne this season before terminating his contract with them.
Peuple Vert look at what could happen in the saga between the club and the player.
It’s claimed the 23-year-old’s lawyer intends to rely on the Lassana Diarra judgment that the Court of Justice of the European Union [CJEU] passed in his favour. The idea is that FIFA’s rules are contrary to EU laws.
The CJEU verdict doesn’t eliminate all sanctions but requires FIFA to undertake reform, which they haven’t done.
Therefore, Peuple Vert state the Frenchman’s legal team are ‘taking a gamble’ by unilaterally terminating his contract with Saint-Étienne.
Their actions are said to be supported by necessary documents and they believe it’ll allow Ekwah to join another club on a free transfer. Saint-Étienne, on the other hand, continue to insist he has a contract until 2029.
Sunderland were paid €6-7m
They paid Sunderland €6-7m to buy him and accepting his decision to unilaterally terminate the contract would mean a financial loss.
The website states: ‘The situation is made even more complex by the fact that Article L. 222-2-7 of the French Sports Code prohibits any unilateral termination clause in a fixed-term contract for professional athletes.’
The Lassana Diarra case dragged on for 10 years, and Saint-Étienne could face a long legal battle ahead with Ekwah.
They’ll have to either accept a settlement to minimise losses or fight it in court to ‘defend their operating model. That is the gamble taken by Pierre Ekwah and his agent, who have chosen to put ASSE under pressure.’
Saint-Étienne have a decision to make and if there’s a legal battle, Peuple Vert indicate the Ekwah saga ‘could reshuffle the cards in the transfer market and contractual commitments’.
