Football: NZF legal bill could rise to over $300k

NZF President Deryck Shaw. Photo / Stephen Parker.

New Zealand Football has a costly decision to make over the next eight days as it weighs up the financial toll of taking its Olympic ineligibility appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

The New Zealand Herald understands that New Zealand Football paid close to $170,000 in legal fees since July, after getting booted from the Olympic Qualifying tournament for fielding an ineligible player, while the Oceania Football Confederation has paid in excess of $200,000 to defend its decision.

Legal costs for both parties to represent themselves at the CAS are expected to reach over $150,000 each.

NZF must now decide if it should double down on the case, which could result in a legal bill totaling over $300,000.

NZF has engaged two legal firms to act on its behalf, while the Oceania Football Confederation appointed leading New Zealand solicitor Mai Chen to advise the OFC disciplinary committee, and their appeals process.

After New Zealand's under-23 team were kicked out of the Olympic qualification tournament in Papau New Guinea, NZF was adamant it was victim of a "premeditated and procedurally unfair" decision.

South African-born Deklan Wynne, it vowed, was indeed eligible to represent his adopted nation, and legal action was pursued.

NZF lost its appeal two weeks ago, but remain convinced of its stand. The national bodies' decision is due in the next eight days.

NZF said the decision will be made after seeking input from the game's stakeholders, assessing the legal merits of the case and, perhaps pivotally, calculating the financial risks of further litigation.