Lawyer: The judgment by the Lausanne court on the Zenit case will be pronounced within 2-3 months

Mikhail Prokopets, Head of Sports Law Group of the Law Firm "YUST", reminded, during his conversation with Artem Lisovsky, a reporter of “Sovetsky Sport”, that the fact that the hearing of the Zenit case by the Lausanne court of arbitration was scheduled for May 9, does not mean that the verdict will be declared in the nearest future. He also gave his evaluation of the chances that CAS would uphold the appeal by Zenit.

- The fans are holding their breath. The session of the Sports Court in Lausanne starts on May 9, and its results may change the development of the struggle for Championship…

- Not quite. One should understand that only the consideration of the case will occur on May 9. It will take the judges some time to pass a judgment. Possibly, two to three months.

- That is, Zenit in certain circumstances may discover in the following season that it won the gold medals?

- This is possible. If it does happen that the three points, which are the subject of the dispute between Zenit and Dinamo, are decisive in this season’s gold tournament, the results of the competition will need to be reviewed.

- Do you believe that Zenit will succeed in contesting the decision of the Control and Discipline Committee of the RFU, passed last autumn, to impose the forfeit?

- I calculate Zenit’s odds of winning the case at 40%. Naturally, Zenit will prepare for the hearing. The Saint Petersburg club might have discovered some details that will be presented to the court. If there are any, it is natural that Zenit is reticent about them and does not disclose them for public judgment.

- Do you believe that the decision by Control and Discipline Committee of the RFU to impose the forfeit on Zenit was just?

- According to the information I have, the decision was passed in compliance with the current regulations. Therefore, it is just. Zenit was unable to prove that a stranger had launched the ill-fated firecracker, - said M.Prokopets.

For more details see here.

Information: a firecracker was thrown at the field from the stands of Zenit during the football game Zenit vs. Dinamo on November 17 of 2012, which injured Anton Shunin, the Dinamo goalkeeper. The Disciplinary Committee of the Russian Football Union imposed forfeit on Zenit. The club did not agree with it and initiated proceedings in the courts of sports arbitration, demanding the rematch.

Other commentaries by Mikhail Prokopets:

«Zenit» went to courts on the «Shunin case»

Consideration of the complaint by «Zenit» by the Court in Lausanne may take six months