Palestinian football officials get court date for FIFA case

FIFA President Gianni Infantino addresses a press conference in Kolkata, India, Friday, Sept. 27, 2017. The 2018 World Cup champion will get $38 million from a prize fund FIFA has increased by 12 percent to $400 million. FIFA said Friday that each of the 32 competing national federations in Russia will get at least $8 million, the same as in 2014 when the overall prize fund was $358 million. (AP Photo)

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The Palestinian challenge about how FIFA handled its complaint against the Israeli soccer federation will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport this month.

CAS says its panel will hear the Palestine Football Association’s appeal on Nov. 27. A verdict is expected weeks later.

The court date was announced 10 days after FIFA President Gianni Infantino said his organization would not intervene after years of attempted mediation between its two member federations.

The Palestinians’ appeal to CAS followed Infantino steering the soccer body’s annual congress in May to delay debate on a FIFA-appointed task force’s report. It could have stopped West Bank settlement clubs from playing in the Israeli league.

FIFA rules prohibit federations from holding games on another member’s territory without permission.