Former France international Lassana Diarra is seeking 65 million euros ($76 million) from FIFA and the Belgian football association as part of a long-running legal battle, the player’s lawyer announced on Monday
Diarra’s challenge to FIFA prompted world football’s governing body to amend its transfer rules after a landmark legal ruling last year, but he has been unable to reach a settlement.
His lawyer Martin Hissel said the claim was for “compensation for damage caused by FIFA rules” on transfers, which the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled to be contrary to European law last October.
“Following a ruling by the CJEU, in the absence of an amicable solution, it is natural to return to the national courts so that they can implement the CJEU ruling,” Hissel said in a statement.
“That is what we are doing today, on the basis of a very clear ruling by the CJEU, which has settled all the essential legal points. The Belgian courts should deliver their decisions within 12 to 15 months.”
The CJEU in October found that FIFA rules impede the free movement of players by “imposing considerable legal risks, unforeseeable and potentially very high financial risks as well as major sporting risks on those players and clubs wishing to employ them”, thereby disrupting the transfer system.
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