Pisarsky plans Swiss court challenge to CAS football-ban decision

Russian footballer Vladimir Pisarsky plans to ask Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court on October 12 to overturn a Court of Arbitration for Sport decision upholding his suspension, his representatives said.

The law firm Aletheia Alliance alleges that CAS failed to examine the proportionality of the sanction, breached the player's right to be heard and violated public policy. These are the defence's arguments, rather than findings by the Swiss court.

His lawyers seek annulment of the arbitration decision and a fresh hearing. They said the Swiss court would examine grounds for setting the award aside, rather than determine the player's guilt anew.

In July 2025, the Russian Football Union imposed a four-year ban, with three years suspended, for involvement in betting. A separate four-month suspension followed in October. CAS rejected his appeal against the July decision.

The case originated in an investigation into an alleged bet placed through another person on the May 28 Sochi–Nizhny Novgorod playoff match. Pisarsky's representatives announced an intended challenge, but the report does not confirm that the Swiss court has registered it.