Update: Supplementary Work Appeal
On 26 May 2026, the HPA found that both Teo Lacau and Diego Cavanagh had contravened the supplementary work rule and decided to impose a suspension upon both players from playing for anyone other than their sponsor for 28 days from 26 May 2026. Following that decision, the HPA has now received written appeals from both players.
The HPA will now convene a panel to hear these appeals as soon as is possible. Pending the outcome of the appeal process, the 28 day suspension has been temporarily lifted.
The HPA has today (26 May), after consideration of their circumstances provided by additional evidence submitted to the HPA, determined that both Teo Lacau and Diego Cavanagh have broken the Supplementary Work rule.
The Supplementary Work rule wording is as follows (this can be also found on page 105 of the current Blue Book):
Supplementary Work. A migrant player must be actively employed (training exercises, playing practices or games) by their sponsor prior to taking on any supplementary work. In addition, if they have not already played in games, they must play with their sponsor (main employer) in a tournament of 12 goals and above, not just be on the bench as a substitute, within two weeks of playing for another team as supplementary employment. The sanction for not adhering to this would be that the player would be suspended from playing for anyone else, apart from their sponsor, for 28 days. The tournament must have been scheduled and published on the Club’s fixture list no later than the start of the current season.
We accept that these players have compiled with the first part of this rule but have not complied with the requirement to play with their sponsor either before or within two weeks of taking up supplementary employment. This means they are suspended from playing for anyone other than their sponsor for the next 28 days.
