Colorado Rapids defender Reggie Cannon has won his appeal against his former club, Boavista. This was determined by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), according to sources close to the case.
As a result of this decision, the Portuguese club now owes Cannon approximately $468,000.
In an exclusive interview, Cannon expressed his relief and satisfaction with the resolution: “It’s an incredible feeling. I feel a great sense of relief knowing that this is officially over and I can move on. Honestly, it’s a very good feeling.”
The CAS decision ends a two-year conflict that began in the summer of 2023. Cannon argued that Boavista had breached his contract due to late payments, leading him to unilaterally terminate his contract and join Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship.
Boavista challenged Cannon’s decision and took the case to FIFA. Last June, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruled against Cannon, determining that he had breached his contract with Boavista.
The FIFA ruled that Cannon and QPR were responsible for the termination and, as a result, owed Boavista around $1.4 million. Boavista, for its part, had to pay Cannon about $85,000.
Cannon appealed this decision to the CAS. Sources report that the CAS found that Boavista was consistently late with scheduled payments to Cannon.
Of the 29 scheduled payments that were due to be made to the player, Boavista was late 28 times, with delays ranging from five to 98 days. Therefore, the CAS ruled that Cannon had justified reasons to terminate his contract.
Cannon arrived at Boavista from FC Dallas in 2020, and played 82 league games with the Portuguese team. He then spent a season with QPR, playing 21 games before returning to MLS last season with the Rapids. At the international level, Cannon has played 28 matches for the United States national team, scoring one goal. His last appearance with the USMNT was in 2022.It was a very good feeling to receive that call because obviously there was a lot of pressure with the previous decision,” Cannon said. “It’s very rare for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to completely overturn a decision.
Reggie Cannon
