Legia Warsaw attacker’s lawyer: his life is in danger in Poland

• It all started because the fans beat the Legia Warszawa players after defeating Wisła Płock
• According to Maher Emreli’s agent, on January 4, he sent documents to the club regarding the termination of the contract
• – We are well prepared and I think we will win. Such things are rare – says Anil Dincer in an interview with “Przegląd Sportowy”
• More similar information can be found on Onet homepage

MACIEJ KALISZUK: Is it true that Mahir Emreli intends to terminate the contract with Legia?

Anil Dincer (Maher Emrill’s attorney): We want to come to an agreement on this. On January 4, we sent a letter to the club regarding this matter.

Are you actually asking about the full amount Emreli would have earned by the end of the contract?

We are waiting for the club’s offer to terminate the contract, but Legia activists want Maher to return. They apologize, admitting that this attack should not have happened. They know what will happen if the case goes to FIFA. They are ready to protect him, but since the police did not protect him then, how can we believe that they will be effective now?

If you don’t come to an agreement, will you go to FIFA?

naturally. We haven’t done this yet. We took a certain risk without deciding to do so.

Are you sure you will win the legal battle?

No, but we are well prepared and I think we will win. Such things are rare. Previously, FIFA dealt with a similar case with Spas Delew (when he wanted to terminate the contract with Beroe Stara Zagora and signed a new contract with Pogoń Szczecin – opening note) and issued a ruling in favor of the club, but then CAS (Court for Sport – opening note). Others for a football player.

How long will it take?

Such issues are usually settled by FIFA within 6-7 months, but if there is an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, it may take 2-3 years. It would be complicated, as the documents are 200 pages long.

Are you not afraid that such a quarrel will negatively affect the career of a football player, if he does not appear anywhere while waiting for the decision?

In this case, we will apply for a temporary license to play the game. We know that all this can go on, but the most important thing is not to play in Poland anymore, because his life is at stake there. Fans on the bus specifically attacked him.

Why do you think so? Perhaps it was unlucky that he was injured and not someone else.

No, they deliberately attacked aliens. Maher was sitting in seat number 16 in the center of the car. If the attackers hit as much as possible, why didn’t they hit the players who took their seats at the entrance? In addition, she has recently received threats from fans on social media. They write to him: “You will see what happens when you come to Warsaw.” Not only is he in danger, but his family as well, because he lives with his sister. If they attack him once, what will they do next? Legia fans have a dark history, they have attacked players in the parking lot before, and attacked Ajax fans or the English police during the match against Leicester.

This is true, but the fights with fans of other clubs have nothing to do with the case, and Legia is not responsible for what people who recognize her outside the club do.

But he is responsible for the safety of the players in the coach. It’s a workplace, just like the club’s facilities where players have been robbed in the past. Furthermore, why didn’t Mahir defend when he was attacked?

Because the others on the bus were afraid.

If my friend was attacked by someone, I would have defended him.

“The scale of attacks in Legia is greater than anywhere else.”

Did Maher receive threats before the attack?

No, but he knew what could happen, he was afraid.

Emreli no longer wants to play in Poland, but attacks on players happen, unfortunately, not only in our country. As a Turk, you know this from your homeland.

This is true, but the scale of these attacks is greater in Legia than anywhere else.

You said in the Azerbaijani media that the attack on Emreli could be racist.

I’m not a hundred percent sure about that, but they attacked the aliens on purpose.

You mentioned that the Armenians may have been behind the attack. Do you really think so?

If there are Armenians among the fans, it may be so, but again I am not sure.

“Who do you believe?”

I am sure that there were no Armenians among the rioters and I doubt that they were interested in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. You also did not rule out that the attack was from the organization of Legia.

In our letter, I asked the club this question. I do not want to make this accusation, I hope Legia did not organize it. But if the police escorted the bus, how did the rioters get to it? In general, this is strange, because the police announced its absence, and Ligia said otherwise. Two different statements, who do we believe? And if the police were there and saw these criminals get on the bus, why didn’t they do anything?

Will Emreli not start training after all?

We have two opinions from psychologists, one from Turkey and one from Azerbaijan, that at the moment he cannot play sports because he will not be able to focus on them during the lessons.

There is a lot of speculation in the media about which clubs are interested.

The Azerbaijani media told that they made a mistake because they were destroying the football player. It lies that we are talking to someone. He still has a contract with Legia, so he can’t negotiate with anyone.

You should say that as a lawyer, but I don’t really think his agent isn’t looking for a club for him.

Again, it’s not true that we’re talking to other clubs. Plus, when you negotiate with someone, everyone will know about it.

Can you imagine that Emrelli will leave in the normal way, that is, he will be sold to another club?

We are still waiting for Legia’s position on the termination of the contract, but we have not received any offer. The other party did not say that they could sell it for a certain amount, they only insisted that he return.