French footballer Lassana Diarra is reigniting his legal battle against FIFA and the Belgian football association, claiming 65 million euros in damages after a landmark legal win about transfer rules.
Diarra’s decade-long challenge to FIFA follows a breakdown in relations with his former club, Lokomotiv Moscow, which led to a pivotal ruling issued by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in October that found certain FIFA regulations in conflict with EU labour laws.
Tracing the case’s origin
This dispute originated from the termination of his contract with Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014 and the subsequent difficulties he faced in signing with a new club.
Diarra’s contract with Lokomotiv Moscow was terminated due to a breakdown in their relationship, reportedly stemming from a dispute over alleged pay cuts and Diarra’s refusal to train. Following Diaara’s exit, FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) ordered the ex-Arsenal, Chelsea, and Real Madrid player to pay Lokomotiv 10 million euros for breaching his contract without “just cause”.
Midfielder’s response to FIFA’s fine
Following the football governing body’s fine, Diarra sued FIFA and the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) in a Belgian court for damages and loss of earnings.
Diarra and his lawyers argued that these FIFA rules on compensation and ITC issuance hindered his free movement as a worker within the European Union and violated competition laws.
The Belgian court referred the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which said the FIFA rules “hinder the free movement of players and competition between clubs.”
“Lassana Diarra is claiming €65 million gross (€35 million net) in compensation from FIFA and the Belgian Football Association,” The French football star’s legal firm Dupont Hissel said in a statement.
Damage to Diarra’s career
FIFA transfer rules at the time made the player and the potential signing club liable for paying the former club when a contract was ruled to have been broken without “just cause.” Diarra’s dispute with Lokomotiv and FIFA forced him to miss the 2014-15 season. He then signed for Marseille and ended his career at Paris Saint-Germain six years ago.
Diarra discloses his motivation for going after FIFA
“I am doing this for myself,” Diarra said in a statement published by his lawyers.
“And if I have been able to hold out against the FIFA steamroller, it is because I had a good career.” “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,” he said.
Diarra’s lawyers are also working on a class action suit filed this month against FIFA and some national soccer federations in Europe, which could benefit 100,000 players over more than two decades. This case could lead to significant revisions in FIFA’s transfer regulations to comply with EU law. This could result in greater freedom of movement for players and more transparency in the transfer system, although the exact impact remains to be seen.