Shakhtar Donetsk are seeking a successful appeal against FIFA's contract ruling at the CAS ©Getty Images

Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk is to have its case heard today against FIFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), bidding to overturn the decision to suspend player and coaching contracts in the country following the invasion by Russia.

Shakhtar's main appeal is over the legality of the ruling - which it says led to a loss of €40 million (£35.3 million/$42.5 million) for player transfer income and depletion of club revenues.

The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided in March to suspend contracts in Ukraine and Russia for foreign staff and extended this until the end of June 2023.

Several players chose to suspend their contracts including Brazilian midfielder Tetê and Israeli forward Manor Solomon.

Tetê and Solomon are now playing for French side Lyon and English Premier League team Fulham respectively.

At least another six Brazilians are on loan - acting as a de-facto suspension as players are obliged to return at the end of the suspension period.

Another five Brazilians left to teams in France, Italy, Portugal and Austria, while home player Danylo Ihnatenko left for Ligue 2 team Girondins de Bordeaux in France.

The club called FIFA's rules "inappropriate and over-reaching" and outlined four arguments to have the measures changed.

Tetê is currently playing for Lyon this season ©Getty Images
Tetê is currently playing for Lyon this season ©Getty Images

First, Shakhtar claim there is no legal grounds to suspend employment contracts under Ukrainian or Swiss law, while the second says the actions violate European Union competition law, which allows Ukrainian clubs to access the European players market - suggesting to limit that would be "anti-competitive."

It adds that FIFA did not practice good governance - making the changes without consulting Ukrainian football clubs or the Ukrainian Association of Football.

Finally, Shakhtar say it is "discriminatory" against clubs from the country and that stops the economic freedom of teams.

"FIFA had a responsibility to help and support Ukrainian football during the war and instead its actions plunged the local football community into an even greater crisis," read the Shakhtar Donetsk club statement.

Shakhtar plan to also put forward measures that FIFA could have taken which they say would have been "less harmful."

"In the present situation, the policies implemented by FIFA have caused considerable damages to FC Shakhtar," it added. 

"As such, the club seeks to claim back these losses and FIFA should repay the damages for which it is liable."

Shakhtar Donetsk has been playing league matches in the capital city Kyiv since 2014 due to the war in Donbass.

Its European matches in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are being held in Warsaw in Poland.

Having finished third in their Champions League group, the Ukrainian side continue in the Europa League against French side Rennes in February.