The case revolves around a contractual dispute between professional football player David Rodriguez Sanchez and Romanian club FC Timisoara, stemming from their employment agreement signed on July 23, 2008. The five-year contract outlined mutual obligations, including the player's adherence to training and match participation, and the club's responsibility to provide proper conditions and timely payments. It also included dispute-resolution clauses emphasizing amicable negotiation before disciplinary action. The conflict began when the club accused Sanchez of refusing to train and initiated disciplinary measures, including a €45,000 fine and a three-month suspension. Sanchez countered that the club breached the contract by failing to resolve the dispute amicably as required. The Romanian Professional Football League's Discipline and Appeal Commissions upheld the club's sanctions, prompting Sanchez to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The CAS found that Sanchez had made genuine efforts to negotiate, evidenced by six letters from his legal representatives, while the club failed to engage in amicable resolution. The arbitrator ruled that the club's unilateral disciplinary actions constituted an unjustified breach of contract, justifying Sanchez's termination of the agreement. The CAS annulled the Romanian commissions' decisions, stating FC Timisoara had no grounds to impose disciplinary measures and that Sanchez was not in breach. The final ruling dismissed all other claims, emphasizing the club's compliance with the agreement but invalidating its disciplinary process. The case underscores the importance of adhering to contractual dispute-resolution mechanisms and the legal consequences of unilateral actions by clubs in professional football contracts. The resolution highlights the necessity of mutual negotiation before imposing sanctions, reinforcing the contractual rights of players.