The case revolves around a dispute between Football Club Metallurg, a Ukrainian football club, and UEFA over the club's failure to comply with financial fair play regulations. The UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) found Metallurg in breach of Articles 65(1) and 65(8) of the UEFA Club Licensing & Financial Fair Play Regulations due to overdue payables totaling €890,000 as of 30 September 2013. On 20 December 2013, the CFCB imposed a suspended sanction, excluding Metallurg from the next three UEFA club competitions unless it paid the full amount by 31 January 2014. Metallurg did not appeal this decision but instead negotiated deferred payment agreements with its creditors, Hrvatski Športski Klub Zrinjski Mostar and Asociatia Club Fotbal Gloria 1922, in January 2014. While the club paid €150,000 by the deadline, it failed to settle the remaining €740,000, leading the CFCB to enforce the sanction on 13 March 2014, excluding Metallurg from UEFA competitions for three seasons.
Metallurg appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the deferred payments should suffice and citing financial difficulties and Ukraine's socio-political environment as force majeure. The CAS panel, led by Sole Arbitrator Manfred Nan, rejected these arguments, ruling that UEFA's regulations do not permit deferring overdue payables to avoid sanctions and that financial constraints or external circumstances do not constitute force majeure. The panel also noted that Metallurg could not contest the underlying CFCB decision in the enforcement appeal since it had not appealed the original decision. The CAS upheld the CFCB's enforcement order, confirming Metallurg's exclusion from UEFA competitions.
The case highlights the strict enforcement of UEFA's financial fair play regulations and the limited flexibility for clubs to avoid sanctions through deferred payments or claims of external difficulties. Metallurg's arguments about financial hardship and Ukraine's political situation were deemed irrelevant, as the club had partially complied with the payment deadline, demonstrating that full payment was technically possible. The arbitrator emphasized that financial difficulties do not excuse non-compliance under Swiss law and CAS jurisprudence, and the definition of force majeure was not met. The ruling underscored that clubs must adhere to financial obligations without exception, reinforcing the integrity of UEFA's regulatory framework. The appeal was dismissed, and the CFCB's decision was upheld in its entirety, leaving Metallurg excluded from UEFA competitions for the specified period. The case serves as a precedent for the rigorous application of financial fair play rules in European football.