Lassana Diarra affects FIFA with a claim of $ 76 million in the rules for football transfer rules of decades

Lawyers for former French international Lassana Diarra said on Monday that he claims 65 million euros ($ 76 million) from FIFA and the Belgian football federation after a historical legal victory over transfer rules.

Diarra’s decade-long challenge for FIFA after a breakdown in relations with his former club Lokomotiv Moscow led to a statement last October to the top court of the European Union that some aspects of the transfer rules of football do not meet the labor and competition laws of the 27 countries.

Lawyers of the 40-year-old former Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder quoted «failed settlement negotiations with FIFA» for the financial claim for compensation throughout his entire career.

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«Lassana Diarra claims € 65 million gross (€ 35 million net) in compensation from FIFA and the Belgian Football Association,» said his law firm Dupont Hessel in a statement.

FIFA was approached for comment on the latest legal challenge with high commitment to its authority.

The case of Diarra, which is back in the court in Belgium, is supported by the Global Players’ Union FIFPRO, its European division and their National Member Union in France.

The legal case began in the home country Charleroi, the Belgian club that Diarra wanted to sign after his contract in Moscow had ended.

At the time, the FIFA transfer rules 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 reason’. The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed FIFA’s ruling in favor of Lokomotiv.

The case was sent to the European Court that said that the FIFA rules «hinder the free movement of players and competition between clubs».

The Diarra dispute with Lokomotiv and FIFA forced him to miss the 2014-15 season. He then signed for Marseille and ended his career in Paris Saint-Germain six years ago.

«I do this for myself,» Diarra said in a statement published on Monday by his lawyers. «And if I could hold on against the FIFA steam roller, it’s because I had a good career.»

«But I also did it for all emerging, less well -known players who do not have the financial and psychological means to challenge FIFA for real judges,» he said.

Diarra’s lawyers are also working on a Class Action right that has been submitted against FIFA this month and some national football federations in Europe that can benefit claims from 100,000 players for more than two decades.