Regarding the dispute between the club and Per-Mathias Hoegmo, who was relieved of his duties as manager on August 26, 2024, and Mario Eduardo Chavez who was relieved of his duties as coach and analyst, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced its arbitration decision on January 16, 2026.

We apologize to our fans and supporters for this sudden announcement and for causing great concern. Since the 30-day period for requesting an annulment stipulated in Article 59 of the Code of Sports-related Arbitration (effective July 1, 2025) has passed since the notification of the arbitral award, we would like to provide the following information regarding the background of this case and the contents of the arbitral award, to the extent that it is possible to make it public.

■Background
On November 9, 2024, Mr. Hegmo and Mr. Chaves (hereinafter referred to as "Mr. Hegmo et al.") filed a complaint with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) dissatisfied with the validity of the termination of the contract and related procedures.
Subsequently, due to a procedural issue at FIFA, the hearing concluded without the club having had a sufficient opportunity to refute or prove its case, and FIFA's ruling, handed down on January 28, 2025, partially accepted the claims of Mr. Hegmo and others. However, as the ruling was at odds with the objective facts and the club's own understanding, we were forced to appeal to CAS on March 27, 2025.

■Contents of the arbitration award
The CAS has now ruled in favor of the club, rejecting all of the claims made by Mr. Hegmo and others, and has confirmed that the club has not breached its obligations regarding the termination of the contract.

As mentioned above, the arbitral award was notified on January 16, 2026, but we refrained from making it public out of consideration for the possibility that Mr. Hegmo and others might file a request to set aside the arbitral award with the Swiss Federal Court (leading to a continuing dispute). As the final day of the statutory period for requesting annulment, February 15, 2026, has passed, we are announcing this today.

The issue in this dispute was the validity of the contract termination and the appropriateness of the related procedures, and the ruling confirmed that the club had not breached its contractual obligations during Mr. Hegmo's tenure or in relation to the termination. Although an unwanted dispute arose due to a claim filed by Mr. Hegmo and others after the termination of their contract, the club would like to once again express its deepest gratitude to Mr. Hegmo and others for their significant contributions to the team during their tenure and wish them continued success in the future.