Wolves Risk FIFA Sanctions After Recent Training Ground Debacle With Tolu Arokodare
- Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Cesar Peixoto cancelled a full team training session after failing to exclude Tolu Arokodare from the squad
- The Nigeria forward joined Wolves from Genk in 2025, but the club are pushing him out after a single season that ended in relegation
- FIFA regulations protect players from being shut out of training without just cause, putting Wolves at risk of a formal dispute
Wolverhampton Wanderers could face sanctions from football's world governing body after their new manager reportedly cancelled an entire training session when his attempt to bar Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare from joining the squad on the pitch failed.
Arokodare moved to Wolves from Belgian side Genk in the summer of 2025, but the Super Eagles forward could not prevent the club from dropping out of the Premier League. With the club now in the Championship, both parties are said to have agreed to go their separate ways.
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However, finding a new club has proved difficult despite reported interest from several European sides, including Turkish clubs Besiktas, Fenerbahce, and Trabzonspor, as well as Italian clubs Bologna, Fiorentina, and Genoa.
With no transfer materialising, Wolves appear to have grown impatient and resorted to measures that could expose them to a formal complaint.
Wolves cancel training because of Arokodare
Journalist Nathan Judah reported that head coach Cesar Peixoto, who took charge following the club's relegation to the EFL Championship, called off training after he was unable to exclude Arokodare from the session.
The decision raises serious questions about Wolves' compliance with FIFA's regulations on player treatment.
The FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players explicitly prohibit clubs from making unilateral decisions that effectively force a player out.
Under those rules, a club cannot bar a player from training without just cause or a verified medical reason. Wolves' actions, as reported, do not appear to meet either condition.
The situation is particularly sensitive given a recent agreement between FIFA and global players' union FIFPRO, which was designed to crack down on clubs using training exclusions as a pressure tactic to push unwanted players towards the exit.
Should Arokodare's representatives file a complaint, Wolves could find themselves facing disciplinary proceedings at the international level.
Legit.ng independently verified this report from sources close to the player who will remain anonymous to protect relationships.
Wolves spell cost Arokodare Super Eagles’ place
Legit.ng previously reported that Tolu Arokodare explained why he was left out of Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad by Eric Chelle.
Arokodare was growing into an important member of the squad, but was left out of the AFCON squad due to poor form and lack of minutes.
Source: Legit.ng
