A symbolic fine was imposed on USM following the Algerian Football Federation’s refusal to allow Berkane players to wear their official jersey. A counterfeit bib was even imposed “free of charge” on RS Berkane players.
The Confederation of African Football’s, CAF, disciplinary panel fined USM Alger $40,000 for refusing to play against Moroccans RS Berkane, according to a USM statement released on Tuesday.
The decision follows USM Alger’s decision in April to withdraw from the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final match against RS Berkane, due to the design of the Moroccan team’s jersey, which featured a full map of Morocco, including its southern provinces.
Algerian authorities confiscated the Moroccan team’s jerseys upon arrival in Algiers for the first leg and refused to return them, leading to the match being cancelled. USM Alger then withdrew from the return leg in Morocco.
The CAF Competitions Committee had even authorised the Moroccan club to play with the jerseys contested by the Algerian club, which appealed this decision, but the appeals committee upheld CAF’s decision.
Yesterday, CAF sanctioned the Algerian team with a 3-0 forfeit for both matches. The disciplinary body also fined it $40,000. The club could have been sanctioned more severely, such as a suspension for the next rounds of the Confederation Cup. USM Alger now has 60 days to pay the fine.
CAF based its sanction on Article 148 of the disciplinary regulations, including the “abandonment of play” clause, based on competition reports indicating financial losses due to the non-playing of the two matches.
Article 148 of CAF’s disciplinary laws states: “If a team refuses to play a match or to continue playing a match that it has started, it will be punished with a fine of at least $20,000 and will forfeit the match in principle.”
The decision prolongs the controversy. Some wonder why CAF opted for a more lenient sanction when its own regulations provide for heavier sanctions in such cases.
USM Alger has announced its intention to appeal the decision, claiming that the club is being unfairly punished for actions beyond its control.
RT/Sf/te/fss/gik/APA