Selby takes FIFA to court for US$65M

CARIBBEAN Sports Television Network headed by Trinidadian Selby Browne is suing FIFA for US$65 million. The action is being brought against the governing body for world football over broadcasting rights for the World Cup in Japan and Korea 2002. According to a news release from Browne’s office yesterday, first hearing in a Zurich court is scheduled for Thursday. Browne and CSTN are claiming that FIFA and president Joseph Sepp Blatter reneged on a promise following the bankruptcy of sport agency ISL/ISMM.

CSTN are saying FIFA took over the rights from the insolvent ISL/ISMM and handed it over to the German Kirch group. This although they had a $.1 million Swiss Franc contract with ISL since 1999, and were not considered by Kirch in the new partition of broadcasting rights. The CSTN case will be presented by Swiss attorney at law Bernhard Muhelstein. Press officer Andreas Herren said FIFA are not worried by the proposed action, since they were never a contractual partner of CSTN and did not participate at the sales of TV rights.