Ernest Nuamah
Ghana’s Right to Dream Academy has achieved a historic victory at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a ruling that could significantly influence how FIFA allocates solidarity payments for African footballers. The case centered around the record transfer of Ernest Nuamah from FC Nordsjaelland to French club Lyon and the decision may set a new precedent for youth development compensation across the continent.
The CAS ruling overturned FIFA’s February 2024 decision, which had directed the majority of Nuamah’s development compensation to Stadium Youth Club, a grassroots team that, according to the court, was only involved in nurturing Nuamah until he was eight years old and had since ceased operations. Instead, CAS recognized Right to Dream as Nuamah’s primary training centre during his formative years from age 10 to 18, ordering FIFA to revisit and recalculate the funds owed.
Nuamah’s €25 million transfer in August 2023 from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland, owned by Right to Dream, to Belgian side RWD Molenbeek, marked a historic milestone as the most expensive outbound transfer in Danish football history. Under FIFA rules, five percent of such international transfer fees are supposed to benefit the player’s early clubs, but FIFA’s records initially attributed the bulk of Nuamah’s development fee to Stadium Youth Club, which had little to do with his later progress.
CAS determined that Right to Dream was entitled to approximately €283,919 from the first leg of the transfer, with additional payments expected. The court criticized FIFA’s outdated records, which had misallocated the funds, and instructed the governing body to ensure accurate reallocation based on the evidence presented.
Legal experts highlight the rarity of FIFA losing at CAS, underscoring the significance of this judgment for African academies that depend heavily on solidarity payments for youth development. Right to Dream was represented by Danish lawyer Jes Christian Fisker, while FIFA denied any wrongdoing. The court emphasized that FIFA’s player history records were “inaccurate and outdated” and called for an urgent correction of the data.
Nuamah’s transfer saga has also drawn broader scrutiny, as the deal involved multiple clubs controlled by Lyon’s majority shareholder, John Textor. Despite some questioning whether the transaction was unusual, Danish officials accepted assurances that the transfer complied with regulations. Nuamah has since become a regular for Ghana’s national team and is linked with Premier League clubs, following a successful career path that began at Right to Dream’s academy in Ghana.
Source: GBC