The situation between  Premier Padel , The  FIP  and players opposed to the current management of the circuit continue to tense. A  complaint was filed by the FIP  and the first consequences  disciplinary and financial  for players who participated in the  boycott of the P2 of Gijón and Cancún  should fall soon.

 A disciplinary process initiated 

Affected players now have  ten days  to present their defense after receipt of the  official notification  of the FIP. The case is ongoing and could take several weeks. The international body is analyzing the facts, collecting evidence, and plans to hear from the players before making a final decision.

Depending on the file to which  Relief  had access, the FIP considers that the players have:

  • Presented their boycott as a  “general strike”  salary. Premier Padel and the FIP.
  •  Willfully obstructed  the smooth running of the FIP P2 tournaments in Gijón and Cancún.

These acts could be punished on the basis of articles  11 and 6 of the FIP Disciplinary Code , which provide for different sanctions in the event of an offense deemed serious or very serious.

 Heavy sanctions in preparation? 

According to the  disciplinary regulations  of the FIP, players are exposed to several types of sanctions:

  •  Fines ranging from €3 to €000 .
  •  A loss of points or places in the FIP ranking .
  •  A ban on participating in FIP tournaments  for a period of  2 to 5 year-olds .
  •  A ban on access to stadiums and competitions  up to  5 years .
  •  Permanent ineligibility  to any organizational position within the FIP.

 Players counterattack: appeal to CAS considered 

Faced with these threats,  more than 30 players  involved in the boycott decided to retaliate. They sent a  official document  to the FIP asking  the cancellation of the Cancun tournament , considering that the regulation was violated in  reopening registrations twice  for this tournament.

So far, the  FIP does not seem to want to cancel the points earned by participants in Cancun , which further fuels the frustration of the boycotters.

If the FIP does not change its position by now  next Monday ,  Several players plan to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)  to challenge the legitimacy of the tournaments in question.

 A standoff far from over 

This case is likely to have  major repercussions  on the future of the circuit and the relations between  Premier Padel, the FIP and the players . A possible  suspension of several players  could reshuffle the cards in the race for the FIP ranking, while recourse to the  CAS  could slow down or cancel part of the planned sanctions.

The future of this  historical conflict in professional padel  remains uncertain.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !