The Turkish top club Antalyaspor has been sentenced to pay Zymer Bytyqi 315,000 euros in outstanding wages, and in addition 1.78 million euros in compensation for breach of contract. This means that Antalyaspor owes the footballer no less than NOK 25 million, in addition to five percent interest. This is revealed in a court decision from Fifa, dated to June this summer. news has tried to get in touch with Zymer Bytyqi, his agent Jim Solbakken and Antalyaspor. They have not responded to our inquiries. The leader of the Norwegian Sportsmen’s Central Organization (Niso), Kristoffer Vatshaug, tells news that the problem is not new. He emphasizes that he has not been involved in the Bytyqi case and speaks on a general basis. – This is similar to many other cases we come across during the year. Unfortunately, we see this on both the men’s and women’s side in international sports, says Vatshaug. Niso manager Kristoffer Vatshaug is aware that some players have not been paid abroad. Photo: Caroline Mitchell Larød / news 9 million in annual salary The former Viking player wreaked havoc with right-backs in the Eliteserien for a number of years, before trying his luck abroad in 2021. Zymer Bytyqi was a Viking favorite for a long time. Here he has just scored against Aalesunds in 2020. Photo: NTB Last summer, Bytyqi signed a three-year contract with Antalyaspor, who were still in 13th place in the Turkish Süper Lig the previous season. There, he was to be paid an annual salary of 770,000 euros, 795,000 euros and 845,000 euros for each season, according to the court decision. After his contract ended, Bytyqi was on the pitch in almost every game, and recorded one goal and two goal-scoring passes in the series. But the 28-year-old was neither paid a salary for January, February or March 2024, according to the Fifa judgment. The footballer thus terminated his contract with the club on 23 April this year, after having given a written notice in advance. – There are clear guidelines on this. Two months’ outstanding salary is grounds for termination of the contract. But it doesn’t always work that way in practice, unfortunately. There must be cooperation between employer and employee, says Niso manager Vatshaug. Zymer Bytyqi has a number of age-specific matches for Norway, but chose to play national team football for Kosovo. Here in a duel against Sweden’s Emil Krafth. Photo: AFP – As if you are demanding money you are not entitled to One person who has experienced something of the same in Turkey is Fredrik Gulbrandsen. Between 2019 and 2022 he played for İstanbul Başakşehir, then one season in Adana Demirspor. In the podcast “Mush Hour”, he has previously talked about the challenge of getting paid at the agreed time. – I can put it this way that in my four and a half years in Turkey I never got paid on the right day. It has varied between two to three to seven months without pay, the 32-year-old said in the podcast. – Is it a particular challenge that players don’t get paid in Turkey, Kristoffer Vatshaug? – In general, there are not very big challenges in European sports related to salary payments, but there can be, and there have been several such cases in Turkey in recent years, says the Niso boss. Fredrik Gulbrandsen has four years in Turkish football behind him. Here in a match against Rome. Photo: Reuters – It’s like that if you ask, it’s like they feel like you’re attacking them. It’s like you’re the one demanding money you’re not entitled to, said Gulbrandsen in the podcast. – Malicious intentions In their response to Fifa, Antalyaspor acknowledged that they had financial problems, but said that they had held talks with the player. They further believe that Bytyqi acted with malicious intentions, and terminated the contract to save himself. – This shows the classic game that occurs when an athlete challenges the club to get their salary paid. It is not difficult to understand why the club does it, says Niso manager Vatshaug. In the Fifa court, Bytyqi’s side of the case won. The judges concluded that he had the right to terminate the contract as the club had not kept up its financial bonds. Zymer Bytyqi left Viking and Stavanger after his contract expired in 2020. Photo: BILDBYRÅN Antalyaspor were given 45 days to pay the sum. If not, they risk getting a transfer refusal in three transfer windows. Neither news nor Niso is aware of whether the case has been appealed to CAS. Published 25/10/2024, at 13.06
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Zymer Bytyqi is awarded millions by Fifa after not being paid a salary – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
