Former Chelsea midfielder, Lassana Diarra, is pursuing a $76 million claim against FIFA and the Belgian soccer federation following a landmark legal ruling on transfer regulations.
According to a statement released on Monday by his lawyer, Martin Hissel, the claim seeks “compensation for damage caused by FIFA rules,” which the Court of Justice of the European Union declared last October to be incompatible with European law.
“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 the 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 had determined in October that FIFA rules restrict 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,” creating disruptions in the transfer market.
Diarra’s case, now back before Belgian courts, is being supported by the global players’ union FIFPRO, its European branch, and the French national member union.
