LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- A football player whose contract was suspended by his club while he was treated for cancer has been awarded "moral damages" of around $60,000.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favour of Uruguayan defender Sebastian Ariosa against the Olimpia club of Paraguay.
"We see this as a great result," said Alexandra Gomez, a lawyer for the global players' union FIFPro. "CAS stated that the club was not responsible for the condition of the player, but it was responsible for its own response to this situation."
The court said Olimpia caused Ariosa "angst and insecurity" when it suspended his five-year contract in 2013 while he underwent chemotherapy in Uruguay.
CAS awarded Ariosa seven per cent of the total contract value as "moral damages" for the club acting in bad faith.
Ariosa, whose salary went unpaid for months even before his diagnosis, also got sporting compensation of around $90,000 ordered by CAS.
Both Ariosa and Olimpia appealed to the sports court after FIFA ruled last year that his contract should be paid in full.
The FIFA disputes panel said Ariosa had been right to terminate his contract after the club stopped his pay.
Still, the FIFA panel had denied the player's request for compensation and did not recognize his rights in Paraguayan national law to a 13th month salary for each year of his contract.
Days later, club officials ordered the player to return to training even while he was in Uruguay being treated.
FIFPro said 30-year-old Ariosa has recovered and is playing for Defensor Sporting in Uruguay.
