Former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra is suing FIFA and the Belgian Football Association for $75 million in damages over a failed transfer that he says derailed his career — www.naijnaira.com reports.
His case is tied to a 2014 move that collapsed when Lokomotiv Moscow blocked his transfer to Belgian club Charleroi, a fallout that left him out of football for an entire season, according to ESPN.
The Frenchman argues that FIFA’s rules at the time unfairly restricted his right to work, as both he and any new club were forced to compensate his former side if a contract ended without “just cause.”
In 2024, the European Court of Justice ruled such regulations “hinder the free movement of players and competition between clubs,” a verdict Diarra is now using as the basis of his multi-million claim.
“I am doing this for myself, but also for younger players who lack the financial or psychological strength to fight FIFA in court,” Diarra said through his lawyers.
His legal team, Dupont Hissel, revealed they are also pushing for a wider class action that could involve more than 100,000 players affected by similar rules.
FIFPRO, along with its European and French branches, has thrown its weight behind the case, which is currently back in court in Belgium.
FIFA has declined to address the ongoing matter directly but admitted it is “working with stakeholders to amend regulations in line with the ECJ guidance.”
Diarra, who retired in 2019 after his final stint with Paris Saint-Germain, insists compensation is the only way to repair the damage caused by losing a year of his career.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
