After a month of procrastination, the legal commission of the Professional Football League banned Hatem Ben Arfa this Friday from participating in official matches with OGC Nice until the end of the season, following a decision by FIFA.
However, the commission agreed to approve Ben Arfa’s contract with Nice, which means he will be able to train with the club from the Azure Coast.
The club will appeal to the Administrative Court, and the hearing will likely be scheduled within the week.
The reaction of president Rivière: “The decision does not surprise us given the way the French authorities have handled this case from the start, both in substance and in form.”
A battle that the red and black house could have done without, and questions remain on the decisions made, particularly at the national authorities’ level.
It will therefore be up to a court to judge whether the player, who is officially part of the Nice squad, will be able to lace up his boots for Ligue 1… before the next season. A judgment that, we hope, will provide a more logical conclusion to a case that should not have been one at all.
