The Royal Belgian Hockey Association (ARBH) condemned the Léopold to the fixed price for all its disputed meetings with its two Argentinian players. The Uccle club of the ION hockey League men will not be able to play in the semi-finals and the women are relegated to 12th and last place.
In a press release sent Thursday, the ARBH specifies that “in the case of the two Argentinian players (Federico Monja and Agustina Albertarrio) whom Leopold had played with a tourist visa, the Control Committee (a legal body of the ARBH) found Leopold guilty of an offense under article 8 of the Internal Rules of the ARBH and to inflict a forfeit on Leopold for all the matches played with the two Argentine players“.
The avenue Dupuich club was accused of irregularities in the qualifications under tourist visas of the two Argentines, when they would have benefited from benefits in kind, which the regulations prohibit.
Federico Monja and Agustina Albertario wore the colors respectively of the Leopold men’s and women’s teams at the start of the season. Their qualification, under tourist visa, was challenged by 11 clubs participating in the Honor Division Championships, men and women, arguing that the two Argentineans did benefit from remuneration or benefits in kind, which is prohibited by the sports regulations of the ARBH if the players do not have a proper employment contract.
Leopold thus lost 17 points in the men’s category and was relegated to 10th place in the standings and could not defend his chances for the title. The ARBH also decides that the semi-finals should start this weekend as planned with the program Braxgata against Racing and La Gantoise against Waterloo Ducks for men; and between Braxgata and La Gantoise on the one hand, and Racing against the Dragons for the ladies.
However, this decision cannot prevent Leopold from appealing to other jurisdictions. The coming hours and days will indicate whether or not the club will take this route. Even if the semi-finals will be disputed well this weekend and the finals the following weekend, it is not yet guaranteed that this file is completely closed.
