Southampton win CAS ruling over Atletico Mineiro transfer dispute as Spygate verdict looms

Southampton have won a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling against Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro over unpaid transfer fees for defender Lyanco, with the CAS ordering the South American side to pay €1.125m (£980k) plus interest within 45 days.

Southampton agreed to sell Lyanco for approximately €5.2m (£4.5m) following their promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2024, with the fee structured across five instalments running until July 2026. When the third payment failed to arrive, Southampton took the matter to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber, which sided with the English club. Atletico Mineiro then escalated the case to the CAS — only for that appeal to be dismissed in Southampton’s favour.

The dispute may not be fully resolved, however. Southampton also notified Atletico Mineiro that January’s instalment had been missed, prompting a second FIFA ruling that again went against the Brazilian side. FIFA rejected Atletico’s argument that they had not received valid invoices, and the club now faces the prospect of multi-window registration bans if payments are not made.

The courtroom success offers a measure of relief to a club navigating a turbulent period off the pitch. Southampton are currently awaiting the outcome of the FA’s investigation into the Spygate scandal, which saw them expelled from last season’s Championship play-offs after being found to have spied on opponents’ training sessions.

Head coach Tonda Eckert recently addressed the ongoing FA probe, describing a lengthy hearing with the governing body. “I talked the FA through everything that happened. Now it’s up to them to make a decision,” Eckert said. “The club received a big, big punishment. A big punishment. I think it’s a punishment that is absolutely unheard of in the history of sports.”

Eckert added that he had publicly apologised for his role in the affair and accepted that the final decision rested with the FA. “I’ve asked for forgiveness for what I’ve done,” he said. “The rest is not for me to decide.”

With the Spygate verdict still pending, the CAS win over Atletico Mineiro at least gives Southampton a positive result to point to as they look to stabilise both on and off the field in the Championship.