Ex-France Star Diarra Seeks €65M Damages from FIFA in Legal Battle

Eupen, Belgium, Aug 18 (AP) Lawyers for Lassana Diarra, the former France international, announced on Monday that he is seeking €65 million ($76 million) in damages from FIFA and the Belgian football federation, following a significant legal victory regarding transfer regulations.

Diarra's legal battle with FIFA, sparked by a fallout with his former club Lokomotiv Moscow, resulted in a ruling last October from the European Union's top court. This ruling stated that certain aspects of FIFA's transfer rules conflict with the EU's labor and competition laws.

The 40-year-old, who previously played for elite clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal, and Real Madrid, has filed this compensation claim after “unsuccessful settlement negotiations with FIFA,” according to his legal firm, Dupont Hissel. They elaborated, “Lassana Diarra is claiming €65 million gross (€35 million net) in compensation from FIFA and the Belgian Football Association.”

FIFA has been contacted for their comment regarding this significant legal challenge to its regulations.

Diarra's case, now active in the Belgian courts, has gained the backing of the global players' union FIFPRO, its European division, and the national member union in France.

The legal proceedings began in Charleroi, Belgium, where local club Charleroi sought to sign Diarra after his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow ended.

At that time, FIFA's transfer rules held the player and any potential new club accountable for compensating the former club if a contract was deemed to have been broken without "just cause." This stance was supported by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in favor of Lokomotiv. However, the European court later declared that FIFA's rules “hinder the free movement of players and competition between clubs.”

This prolonged dispute left Diarra sidelined for the 2014-15 season, but he later signed with Marseille and concluded his career at Paris Saint-Germain six years ago.

In a statement released on Monday, Diarra expressed, “I am doing this for myself. And if I have been able to hold out against the FIFA steamroller, it is because I had a good career.” He added, “But I have also done it for all the up and coming, lesser-known players who do not have the financial and psychological means to challenge FIFA before real judges.”

Moreover, Diarra's lawyers are also working on a class action lawsuit, initiated this month, against FIFA and certain national football federations in Europe. This broader action claims to potentially benefit 100,000 players over more than two decades. (AP) DDV

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