FIFA Faces €65m Payout as Ex-Chelsea Star Lassana Diarra Wins Landmark Court Case on Player Rights
FIFA has been ordered to pay €65 million in damages to former Arsenal, Chelsea, and Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra after he won a landmark ruling that challenges the governing body’s transfer regulations. Lassana Diarra wins a landmark EU court case against FIFA, seeking €65m in damages as player rights take center stage in global football law. Getty Images The case stems from Diarra’s dispute with Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014. Following a fallout over his salary, his contract was terminated, leading the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to impose a €10 million penalty on the player for breach of contract. FIFA’s rules at the time meant that any potential new club risked financial exposure by signing him, which ultimately derailed a move to Sporting Charleroi in Belgium and sidelined Diarra from professional football for more than a year. Supported by the global players’ union FIFPRO, Diarra took his case to the Court of Justice of the European ...