Birkirkara FC are facing a major employment dispute before FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber after Italian defender Alessandro Coppola filed a claim seeking €277,500 net in compensation, plus interest, the value of a Malta-Italy flight ticket, and possible sporting sanctions against the club.
Documents in Malta Sport’s possession show that the claim was filed on 5 June 2026 by Vermeer Sports Law on behalf of Coppola, who alleges that Birkirkara terminated his contract without just cause after the club failed to qualify for European competition.
The case could become one of the most significant recent employment disputes involving a Maltese football club, not only because of the amount being claimed, but also because of the legal argument being made against a clause that allowed the club to terminate the player’s contract without compensation if European qualification was not achieved.
According to the claim, Coppola signed an employment contract with Birkirkara on 5 January 2026. The agreement was valid from the date of signing until the end of the 2028/29 season, meaning the player was tied to the club on a long-term deal.
The financial package outlined in the claim included a monthly net salary of €6,000, made up of a basic remuneration and allowance structure. Coppola was also entitled to rent support of up to €1,100 per month, a car allowance of up to €400 per month, and one round trip between Malta and Italy.
At the centre of the dispute is Article 13.4 of the contract, which states that if Birkirkara failed to qualify for European competition in the 2025/26 season, the club retained the right to terminate the contract without compensation.
Coppola’s legal team is arguing that this clause was abusive, one-sided and incompatible with FIFA’s principle of contractual stability. The player’s case is that the clause gave Birkirkara the power to walk away from a long-term contract after only a few months, while Coppola did not enjoy the same right.
The timeline set out in the FIFA claim is also important. The claim states that by the end of February 2026, Birkirkara had failed to pay the player his full monthly salary, leaving him €1,000 short. It further alleges that in March and April 2026, the club failed to pay his monthly salaries, rent and car payments.
Birkirkara played their final match of the season on 30 April 2026. Less than a month later, on 28 May, the club sent Coppola a notice of contract termination, invoking the European qualification clause.
Coppola rejected the termination the following day. According to the claim, on 29 May, he informed the club that he considered the termination to be without just cause and requested payment of outstanding salaries for February, March, April and May, together with compensation for breach of contract.
The documents state that Birkirkara paid €22,250 in outstanding salaries on the same day, shortly after receiving the player’s default notice. The claim further states that club vice-president Gordon Spiteri then asked Coppola to sign a termination agreement dated 28 May 2026.
Coppola refused to sign and informed the club that it should contact his legal representative. The claim states that no further reply or payment followed, leading the player to file the case before FIFA.
The legal argument presented by Coppola’s representatives is built around FIFA and CAS jurisprudence on so-called potestative clauses. In simple terms, the player is arguing that Birkirkara inserted a clause that allowed the club alone to decide whether to cut the contract short, based on an outcome linked to the club’s sporting performance.
The claim argues that this created an unjustifiable imbalance between the club and the player. It also says the structure effectively tied Coppola to a three-and-a-half-year contract while allowing Birkirkara to escape the agreement after only six months if the team failed to qualify for Europe.
One of the most striking aspects of the claim is the argument that Coppola was scapegoated for Birkirkara’s failure to qualify for European football. His representatives argue that football is a team sport and that responsibility for sporting results cannot be placed on a single player.
The claim states that Coppola was the only player whose contract was terminated because Birkirkara failed to qualify for European competition. His legal team argues that this made the termination even more disproportionate.
The financial calculation is also clear. Coppola’s representatives say that, because the contract was terminated on 28 May 2026, the remaining duration of the deal ran from 1 June 2026 to 30 June 2029, a period of 37 months.
Based on the salary, housing allowance and car allowance, the claim calculates the residual value of the contract at €277,500 net. Coppola is asking FIFA to order Birkirkara to pay that amount as compensation for breach of contract, with 5% annual interest from 28 May 2026 until the date of effective payment.
The player is also claiming the value of one Malta-Italy flight ticket, to be calculated by FIFA, together with interest.
In addition, Coppola is claiming 5% interest on late salary payments, including the partial late payment of his February salary and the delayed March and April salaries. Although Birkirkara settled the outstanding salary amount on 29 May, Coppola’s legal team argues that interest remains due because the payments were made late.
The claim also asks FIFA to impose sporting sanctions on Birkirkara for what Coppola’s side describes as a premature termination of contract without just cause within the protected period.
Malta Sport contacted Roy Vermeer, Coppola’s legal representative, for comment. Vermeer confirmed that he represents Coppola and that a dispute is pending before FIFA, but said he could not comment further while the procedure is ongoing.
