Eupen, Aug 18: Lawyers for former France international Lassana Diarra said Monday he is claiming 65 million euros ($76 million) from FIFA and the Belgian soccer federation after a landmark legal win about transfer rules.
Diarra’s decade-long challenge to FIFA after a breakdown in relations with his former club Lokomotiv Moscow led to a ruling at the European Union’s top court last October that some aspects of soccer’s transfer rules do not comply with the 27-nation bloc’s labor and competition laws.
Lawyers for the 40-year-old former Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder cited “unsuccessful settlement negotiations with FIFA” for the financial claim for damages throughout his career.
“Lassana Diarra is claiming ?65 million gross (?35 million net) in compensation from FIFA and the Belgian Football Association,” his legal firm Dupont Hissel said in a statement.
FIFA was approached for comment about the latest high-stakes legal challenge to its authority. (AP)
