FIFA has ruled in favour of Ukrainian footballer Andriy Korobenko in his claim against Valmiera FC, ordering the Latvian club to clear its outstanding payments to the player within 45 days. Failure to do so will trigger sanctions in the form of a ban on registering new players, both domestic and foreign.
Korobenko’s case concerns unpaid contractual bonuses from the 2024 season, with the total amount described as being in the tens of thousands of euros. The ruling is one of two similar disciplinary cases involving Valmiera that have reached FIFA this autumn.
Valmiera spent this season in Latvia’s third tier, having failed to obtain licences for both the Virslīga and the second-tier Nākotnes līga. The club won promotion back to the second tier on the pitch, and club president Uldis Pūcītis told Sportacentrs.com that the organisation intends to use this lifeline while working to resolve its financial problems.
FIFA’s decision specifies a 45-day deadline to pay Korobenko. If the club does not comply, the registration ban will take effect automatically.
Korobenko played for Valmiera in 2023 and 2024, making 43 Virslīga appearances before moving to FK Liepāja, where he again became a regular, playing 34 top-flight matches this year. He filed his claim to FIFA with the support of the Latvian Professional Footballers’ Association (LPFA).
Public records on Lursoft indicate that, as of 24 November, Valmiera still had a €61,800 debt registered with the State Revenue Service (VID).
Source: https://sportacentrs.com/futbols/citas_ligas/26112025-fifa_liek_valmierai_45_dienu_laika_noreki
