Diarra Sues FIFA for €76M: Transfer Case and European Laws

Lassana Diarra Sues FIFA for a Million-Dollar Sum

Former French national team player Lassana Diarra has filed a lawsuit against FIFA and the Belgian football federation, seeking compensation of 65 million euros (76 million dollars). The legal action arises after a significant victory by Diarra in a case related to player transfer rules. The dispute between Diarra and FIFA, which lasted for a decade, originated from a conflict with his former club, Lokomotiv Moscow. The Court of Justice of the European Union issued a ruling last October, determining that certain aspects of football transfer regulations do not comply with the labor and competition laws of the European Union. The midfielder’s lawyers, who played for teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid, mentioned “unsuccessful settlement negotiations with FIFA” as the basis for the financial claim for damages suffered throughout his career.

“Lassana Diarra is claiming 65 million euros gross (35 million euros net) in compensation from FIFA and the Belgian Football Federation,” stated the law firm Dupont Hissel.

Dupont Hissel

FIFA has chosen not to comment on “ongoing legal matters”, marking a new high-profile legal challenge for the organization. In a statement, FIFA indicated that “it has been working with its stakeholders to modify its regulations following the guidelines offered by the Court of Justice of the European Union”. Diarra’s case, which is once again in the Belgian courts, is supported by FIFPRO, the global players’ union, its European division, and its national member union in France. The litigation began in Belgium, a country where Charleroi, a Belgian club, wanted to sign Diarra after his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow was terminated. At that time, FIFA’s transfer rules stipulated that both the player and the interested club could be held liable for compensating the previous club if the contract was deemed to have been broken without “just cause.” The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld FIFA’s decision in favor of Lokomotiv.

The case was referred to the European Court in Luxembourg, which ruled that some aspects of FIFA’s rules “hinder the free movement of players and competition between clubs”. The dispute between Diarra, Lokomotiv, and FIFA prevented him from playing during the 2014-15 season. Subsequently, he signed for Olympique de Marseille and ended his career at Paris Saint-Germain six years ago.

“I’m doing this for myself,” Diarra declared in a statement released by his lawyers. “And if I’ve been able to resist against FIFA’s pressure, it’s because I had a good career.”

Lassana Diarra

Diarra added: “But I have also done it for all the emerging, lesser-known players who do not have the economic and psychological means to challenge FIFA before real judges.” Diarra’s lawyers are also working on a class action lawsuit filed this month against FIFA and some national football federations in Europe, which could benefit 100,000 players for more than two decades.