The International Football Federation (FIFA) has revealed the reasoning behind the Dispute Resolution Chamber's decision regarding the complaint filed by Modern FC (formerly known as Modern Sport) against former player Imourane Hassani, his parent club, and Swiss side Grasshoppers.
The case concluded with the rejection of Modern FC's complaint and no sanctions imposed on any party, due to certain inaccurate procedures undertaken by the club in completing the player's signing process.
Modern Sport filed a lawsuit before FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber against Beninese player Imourane Hassani, his original club Loto Popo from Benin, and Swiss club Grasshopper Club Zurich.
Hassani joined Modern Sport on loan from Loto Popo in September 2023 for $20,000, with a clause allowing the Egyptian club to sign him permanently for $50,000, provided that Loto Popo was notified before May 30, 2024.
Activation of the Purchase Clause
Modern Sport informed the Beninese club on April 18, 2024, of its intention to activate the purchase clause, confirming that it had attempted to transfer the permanent deal fee, but the amount was returned due to banking issues.
In response, Loto Popo refused to complete the transaction, arguing that Modern Sport had not paid the loan or permanent transfer fees within the specified deadlines.
Modern Sport confirmed that it had signed a new four-season contract with Hassani, starting from the 2024-2025 season until the end of the 2027-2028 season, with a total value of $520,000.
However, the player denied signing the contract, stating that upon joining the club, he had signed blank or incomplete pages for registration purposes, which were later used to draft the disputed contract without his knowledge or consent.
Leaving Egypt and Moving to the Swiss League
Hassani left Cairo on May 28, 2024, to join the Benin national team, but did not return to Egypt after completing his international duty.
Modern Sport requested the player to return to training multiple times before announcing on August 16, 2024, the termination of the four-year contract due to his continued absence and failure to comply with club instructions.
Loto Popo entered negotiations with Grasshoppers to loan the player, and preliminary contracts were signed during the summer of 2024, but they were cancelled following the emergence of the dispute with Modern Sport.
Grasshoppers later re-signed the player on loan in January 2025, before activating the option to buy him permanently effective July 2025.
Modern Sport's Demands
Modern's Request
Modern Sport sought confirmation of the validity of the four-year contract and recognition that its termination was for just cause. It also demanded that the player pay compensation of no less than $1,040,000, holding either Loto Popo or Grasshoppers jointly liable.
The club further requested a four-month suspension for the player and a registration ban for any club proven to have induced the player to breach his contract.
Reasons for Rejecting the Claim
The Dispute Resolution Chamber determined that Modern Sport failed to provide sufficient evidence proving an agreement with the player on the four-year contract.
The Chamber relied on the fact that the contract lacked a signature date, and the club did not submit correspondence or negotiation records clarifying how the duration, value, and terms were agreed upon. Additionally, the player consistently denied the existence of the contract early on, while Modern Sport did not respond to his explicit request to confirm the absence of a contractual relationship after the 2023-2024 season.
The Chamber noted that the player's admission to signing blank or incomplete documents constitutes negligence on his part, but does not prove his consent to the essential elements of the four-year contract.
Status of the Initial Loan Contract
FIFA confirmed that the player's initial contract with Modern Sport remained valid until the end of the Egyptian season on August 18, 2024.
However, the termination letter issued on August 16 explicitly referred to ending the four-year contract, not the initial one. Therefore, the Chamber considered that the initial contract was not terminated prematurely but expired naturally at the end of its term.
It added that even if the letter were considered a termination of the entire contractual relationship, its issuance just two days before the contract's expiry did not result in financial damage warranting compensation.
Loto Popo demanded that Modern Sport pay $20,000 for the loan, plus an annual interest rate of 5%.
However, FIFA deemed this claim procedurally inadmissible as it was submitted after the deadline for counterclaims, without ruling on its substantive merit.
Final Decision
The Dispute Resolution Chamber decided to reject Modern Sport's claim in full, imposing no compensation on the player, and applying no sporting sanctions against him or registration bans on Loto Popo or Grasshoppers.
The ruling was issued without costs, with parties retaining the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receiving the decision.
