Lucas Ribeiro’s Lawyer Accuses Mamelodi Sundowns of Blocking Qatar SC Transfer
- Lucas Ribeiro Costa has taken his contract dispute with Mamelodi Sundowns to the FIFA Football Tribunal after leaving the club’s pre-season camp
- The Brazilian forward claims he had cause to terminate his contract and has already agreed personal terms with Qatar SC, but a deal collapsed
- Mamelodi Sundowns have released a statement stressing their commitment to fair negotiations, while Ribeiro’s lawyer accuses the club of pricing him out
Brazilian forward Lucas Ribeiro is reportedly seeking an exit from Betway Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns this summer, but the club is not prepared to let him go.
The South American star has yet to feature for the Brazilians this season and hinted at his situation on social media.
Source: Getty Images
On Thursday, 21 August, following his abrupt departure from Sundowns’ pre-season camp, Ribeiro escalated the dispute to the FIFA Football Tribunal, seeking clarity on the legal consequences of his contract termination. He maintains that he acted within his rights.
“I believe that I have just cause to terminate my contract with Mamelodi Sundowns FC, which I will explain before the FIFA Football Tribunal,” Ribeiro said in a statement.
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The 26-year-old is reportedly confident that recent legal precedents, most notably the high-profile case of former Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, ruled on by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), will support his claim and allow him to continue his career without restrictions.
“My next employer will not be involved in the dispute between me and Mamelodi Sundowns FC, neither from a disciplinary perspective nor financially,” he added.
Source: Getty Images
How did Mamelodi Sundowns respond to Ribeiro?
In response, Sundowns released a statement stressing their commitment to dialogue with clubs interested in their players, insisting that negotiations are always conducted in the interests of all parties, including the club itself.
The club also noted that Ribeiro is not the only player exploring opportunities abroad, emphasising the need to balance player ambitions with long-term planning.
See the tweet below:
What went wrong, according to Ribeiro's lawyer
Ribeiro has already agreed personal terms with Qatar SC, but the Middle East club could not finalise a deal with Masandawana. His lawyer, Jean-Louis Dupont, who also represented Diarra, explained to BBC Sport why the transfer fell through.
According to Dupont, Sundowns were offered “well above the player’s valuation” by Qatar SC. However, he claimed the South African champions “attempted to drive up the price again and again in an unreasonable manner, without any regard for the player’s interests, which made the deal impossible.”
The case now rests with the FIFA Football Tribunal, which will decide on Ribeiro’s future and the legal validity of his contract termination.
Sundowns lose midfield star to injury
Briefly News previously reported that Mamelodi Sundowns have been dealt a major blow with the latest injury to their midfield talisman, who is expected to be sidelined for several months.
The Betway Premiership champions, who had a slow start to their title defence, managed a 2-0 win over Magesi on Wednesday, 20 August, but will unfortunately be without one of their key players until November.
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Source: Briefly News
