Lassana Diarra Seeks €65m From Fifa

Former French world midfielder Lassana Diarra has lodged a 65-million-euro (£56m) suit against FIFA and nan Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) successful a Belgian court, his lawyers announced, according to respective news reports.

Diarra described a nonaccomplishment by FIFA to settee for an denotation of nan association’s “culture of contempt”. Diarra achieved a important alteration successful nan crippled successful 2024, erstwhile he won a lawsuit astatine nan Court of Justice of nan European Union (CJEU), wherever he based on that FIFA rules had restricted his state of movement. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is portion of nan CJEU.

“I person been forced to conflict this ineligible conflict since August 2014. That’s much than 11 years,” Diarra said successful a joint media release. “I americium doing this for myself. And if I person been capable to clasp retired against nan FIFA steamroller, it is because I had a bully career. But I person besides done it for each nan up-and-coming, lesser-known players who do not person nan financial and psychological intends to situation FIFA earlier existent judges. Finally, I americium delighted that nan ‘DIARRA ruling’ has paved nan measurement for nan ‘Justice for Players’ instauration to motorboat a people action successful nan Netherlands that will alteration each players (not only those who, for illustration me, person suffered circumstantial damage) to get compensation for nan harm caused by nan FIFA regulations, without having to salary ineligible costs upfront and without having to uncover their personality (see www.justiceforplayers.com),” Diarra added.

Absence of an amicable solution

Diarra said that successful ray of FIFA’s and RBFA’s deficiency of liking successful an amicable solution, “the adjacent logical measurement is to return to nan nationalist courts truthful that they tin instrumentality nan CJEU ruling. This is truthful what we are doing now, based connected a very clear CJEU ruling that has settled each nan cardinal ineligible points.” He besides said he believes nan Belgian courts will manus down a ruling wrong 12 to 15 months.

In December 2024, FIFA amended its rules, but it was deemed insufficient by nan world players’ union, FifPro, which is backing Diarra’s latest lawsuit.

“The determination to prosecute litigation followed unsuccessful attempts astatine amicable settlement, pinch Fifa declining to prosecute constructively to resoluteness nan rightful request by nan subordinate to beryllium compensated for his profession losses,” nan national said.

Diarra’s news follows an announcement 2 weeks agone of a class-action suit being brought against FIFA, pinch lawyers estimating that each players during nan play nan rules were successful unit could person had their life net reduced by arsenic overmuch arsenic 8 per cent.