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MANCHESTER, England -- Sporting Lisbon president Bruno de Carvalho expects to face the Doyen Sports group in court over the controversial transfer of Marcos Rojo to Manchester United. - Rojo granted work permit Carvalho is now campaigning against third-party ownership and is angry at Doyen Sports' involvement in the departure of Rojo and the alleged share of the transfer fee they were due, which Sporting have not paid. He made reference to Article 18 from the FIFA Rules on the Status and Transfer of Players, which prohibits third party contracts from acquiring "the ability to influence in employment and transfer related matters its independence, its policies or the performance of its teams." "The contract was invalid," Carvalho told ESPN FC at the Soccerex Global convention. "That contract means manipulation, it means engagement with the management. It's not a contract. "It's not a question of fairness. It's not a contract. One of the rules [Article 18] is that the funds cannot be engaging with management and cannot be manipulating the management, and they did it." Carvalho told ESPN FC that the contract that Doyen Sports had signed with Sporting was invalid from the beginning, alleging that it gave the group "manipulation" ability. Doyen Sports were alleged to have granted Sporting a loan of 4 million euros in exchange for 75 percent of Rojo's economic rights. The Sporting president confirmed that the club have retained the full transfer fee from Manchester United, with none of the fee going to Doyen Sports, adding that Sporting had returned the 4 million euro original loan to the fund, due to their belief that the contract was invalid. "When you think that a contract is invalid, the thing that you need to do is return everything from the first stage," he said. "Now we've given back the money that they gave to the club, regarding not only Rojo, but Rojo and [Zakaria] Labyad.". Carvalho also suggested that Doyen Sports offered Marcus Rojo for transfer, without the permission of Sporting and the club's management. "Of course [Rojo was offered to clubs]. To all the world. To everybody". Doyen Sports issued the following statement regarding the accusations. "Doyen has a strong track record in working with clubs across the globe. The Doyen model of finance is not only endorsed by many clubs but also backed by associations and leagues as seen recently by the Spanish Federation. We operate in an open and transparent way and we welcome regulation in this sector. "We categorically do not manage or influence the player and we ensure that is written into every contract we have with the club. With it becoming even more difficult to source finance from banks, Doyen provide clubs with a much needed source of income to help them compete against clubs with bigger budgets. "A perfect example is in the form of Atletico Madrid who are doing so well, in part to Doyen's support. In the case of Sporting Lisbon, that is now a matter for our lawyers who are taking action. This is the first ever issue we have had and it's with a specific President who now wants to renege on a bona fide contract that his club have signed. We welcome taking the matter to court."
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