Ex-Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia sues world football giant, FIFA at US court

Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia has sued the world football governing body, FIFA, at a United States court.

Siasia filed a case against FIFA at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to PREMIUM TIMES.

The former Nigeria international is, among other things, seeking compensation for the ‘damage’ done to his reputation by FIFA with their investigation of an alleged bribery case against him.

"Here, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (“FIFA”), the worldwide governing body of soccer, exercised governmental function when FIFA investigated and adjudicated a charge of bribery, a crime, against Samson Siasia (“Siasia”), a United States citizen, which function has traditionally been exclusively the domain of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Justice, (USDOJ) and the Judicial branch of government or the State government.

"After finding Siasia guilty, FIFA then imposed a fine of 50,000 Swiss Francs and a lifetime ban from using his professional coaching license that was issued by the U.S. Soccer Federation. As a result, the defendant is in violation of 42 U.S.C. 1983 of the Civil Rights Act, (“Section 1983”) among others, for depriving plaintiff of his constitutional rights under colour of state law,” a part of the case filed read.

Siasia, who was initially banned for life, has seen his punishment reduced to a five-year ban and his initial 50,000 Swiss Francs fine totally reversed.

While the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) ruled that Siasia did not receive any bribe and did not fix any match, the court said he erred by not reporting the matter when he was asked to fix matches by a club official at a club he sought to coach.

Apart from the compensation being sought by Siasia, he is also seeking a global retraction of the guilty verdict of accepting the bribe that FIFA placed on him.

The former Super Eagles player also wants an annulment of the lifetime ban or any ban on his Coaching License.

Siasia, who had at different times handled various Nigeria national teams, was approached by a match-fixer, Wilson Perumal, in 2010, while seeking a job with an Australian club.