CSKA Lament Ejuke’s Decision To Leave

Russian top flight club CSKA Moscow have expressed disappointment over the decision of Super Eagles star Chidera Ejuke to leave.

CSKA confirmed Ejuke’s exit in a statement on their website.

Ejuke have been linked to Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin after taking advantage of the temporary employment rules approved by The Bureau of the FIFA Council.

This allowed Ejuke to suspend his contract with CSKA until 30 June 2023.

Aside Ejuke, Iceland’s Anor Sigurdsson also took the opportunity to suspend his contract with CSKA via the temporary employment rules.

And addressing the exit of Ejuke and Sigurdsson, CSKA wrote stated on their website:“Two PFC CSKA foreign footballers will play for other teams in the 2022/23 season.

“Striker Chidera Ejuke and midfielder Arnor Sigurdsson have used the temporary employment rules, which were approved by The Bureau of the FIFA Council, and suspended their respective deals with PFC CSKA until 30 June 2023.

“PFC CSKA regrets the players’ decision, which was taken despite club’s effort and their contract duties. As was announced earlier, PFC CSKA plans to fill in lawsuits to defend its interests against FIFA’s decision, which we consider discriminatory and contrary to the statutes of that organisation.”

FIFA Temporary Employment & Registration Rules

Following the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Bureau of the FIFA Council in coordination with UEFA and after consultation with various stakeholders – temporarily amended the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP).

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The principles are set out in the form of a temporary annexe to the RSTP (Annexe 7) entitled “Temporary rules addressing the exceptional situation deriving from the war in Ukraine”.

The following decisions were taken:

– Concerning the situation in Ukraine, in order to provide players and coaches with the opportunity to work and receive a salary, and to protect Ukrainian clubs, unless the parties to the relevant contract explicitly agree otherwise, all employment contracts of foreign players and coaches with clubs affiliated to the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) will be deemed automatically suspended until the end of the season in Ukraine (30 June 2022), without the need for any action from the parties to this effect.

– In order to facilitate the departure of foreign players and coaches from Russia, in the event that clubs affiliated to the Football Union of Russia (FUR) do not reach a mutual agreement with their respective foreign players and coaches before or on 10 March 2022 and unless otherwise agreed in writing, the foreign players and coaches will have the right to unilaterally suspend their employment contracts with the FUR-affiliated clubs in question until the end of the season in Russia (30 June 2022).

The suspension of a contract as per the paragraphs above will mean that players and coaches will be considered “out of contract” until 30 June 2022 and will therefore be at liberty to sign a contract with another club without facing consequences of any kind.

Ejuke left Dutch club Heerenven on 28 August 2020 to join CSKA on a four-year contract.

He made 55 appearances for CSKA and scored 10 goals.