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Army Sports Club STEAUA has sued the Romanian Football Federation at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) and demands the suspension of the promotion play-off to League I, with a decision to be announced Friday, FRF lawyer Adrian Stangaciu told AGERPRES.
"Steaua Club challenged at TAS the decision not allowing it to compete in the promotion play-off for League I. It probably took the steps the day before yesterday, but it was only yesterday that we found out. We were granted 24 hours from TAS to submit the documents to defend ourselves. There is a small disadvantage that we were notified late to formulate the defense, but we sent the reasoning, and now we are waiting to receive the decision. Today we will certainly receive it because tomorrow there is the play-off match [Concordia Chiajna - Chindia Targoviste, first leg - ed.n.] and there is no more time. They demanded the suspension of the play-off, let's see what TAS says," Stangaciu mentioned.
CSA Steaua finished fourth the play-off of the Second League, but it does not have the right of advance, so its place in the play-off was taken by the team ranked fifth, Concordia Chiajna. According to the Sports Law, clubs governed by public law, financed from the state budget, such as Steaua, do not have the right to advance to League I, a competition where only those organized as legal persons under private law are accepted.
"In all the cases where a team is up for promotion or giving the right to a promotion play-off does not hold a license for League I or does not meet the statutory and regulatory requirements for participation in League I, that place will be occupied by the next team, the better ranked, from the Second League that meets the conditions for participation in the League I," mentioned FRF on its official website.
