CAS rules in favour of “too late USMA” against CAF

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne announced its ruling on Wednesday regarding the RS Berkane jersey controversy, siding with USM Alger, as confirmed by the club in a statement released on its social media channels.

“The Court of Arbitration for sports has decided to annul the initial decision made by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which had allowed RS Berkane’s jersey to feature a political symbol, thereby contravening the regulations established by the African governing body. This organization mandates a strict separation between politics and sports. This ruling represents a triumph for the principles of sports neutrality and adherence to regulations, reaffirming the necessity for clubs to comply with competition rules,” the statement read.

The case traces back to the previous edition of the Confederation Cup, during which the Algerian club declined to participate in the second leg of the semifinals against an opponent that continued to display a map of Morocco, including the occupied territories of Western Sahara, on their jersey. By doing so, the Moroccan team violated sporting regulations that prohibit any political or religious messages or slogans.

During the first leg, held at the Olympic Stadium of July 5 in Algiers, players from the Moroccan club refused to take the field, despite the presence of USMA players.

Following CAF’s decision to declare RS Berkane the winner of the first leg by a forfeit score of 3-0 and to proceed with the return match, USM Alger chose to appeal to the CAS, basing its request on CAF and FIFA regulations that strictly ban the use of political or religious messages in football matches.

“The CAS’s decision showcases the strength and professionalism of USMA’s management in defending the club’s interests, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to uphold regulatory compliance and protect the club’s interests across all competitions. Furthermore, it affirms the validity of our legal position. USMA is dedicated to the principles of ethics, neutrality, and respect for regulations, and will continue to work resolutely to maintain its stature within African football,” concluded the USMA statement.

It is important to note that the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) and USMA submitted a case to the CAS in Lausanne on May 2, 2024, seeking to overturn CAF’s decision that deemed the Algerian representative the loser (3-0) in the first leg.

According to Law 4 of football concerning player equipment, “Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer`s logo. For any infringement the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organizer, national football association or to be justified by FIFA.”

In accordance with Article 50 of the Olympic Charter (paragraph 2), “no kinds of demonstration or political, religious, or racial propaganda” permitted “in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”