Lassana Diarra is to directly pursue Fifa for €65m (£56m) in compensation after a European court’s verdict on its transfer rules, with the former France midfielder describing a failure by the governing body to reach a settlement as indicative of a “culture of contempt”.
Diarra provoked significant change in the game last year when he won a case at the court of justice of the European Union (CJEU) claiming his freedom of movement had been restricted by Fifa rules. The European court of justice (ECJ) is part of the CJEU.
The organisation subsequently amended its rulebook but the one‑time Chelsea player says it has failed to make personal amends and, as a result, he is starting legal proceedings against it, as well as against the Belgian football association.
In a statement released through his lawyers, Diarra said: “I have been forced to fight this legal battle since August 2014. That’s more than 11 years! I waited a few months before restarting the national proceedings in Belgium, thinking that Fifa and the Belgian federation would at least have the decency to approach me to propose an amicable settlement of the dispute … This was not the case. That is their right, but it reflects a continuing culture of contempt for the rule of law and for players, despite the crystal-clear message sent by the CJEU.”
Diarra is seeking €65m in compensation for what he argues is the damage inflicted by the collapse of his proposed transfer from Lokomotiv Moscow to the Belgian side Charleroi in 2014. With his contract terminated by the Russian club, Diarra was denied a permit to transfer to Charleroi as the rules decreed that he must first pay a fine levied by Lokomotiv, as well as compensation determined by a separate legal action.
In hearing the case last year, the CJEU found that Fifa’s rules in the event of a contract being terminated were “contrary to EU law” and that they imposed “considerable legal risks, unforeseeable and potentially very high financial risks as well as major sporting risks on those players and clubs wishing to employ them which, taken together, are such as to impede international transfers of those players”.
Fifa amended its rules in December in a move declared insufficient by the global players’ union, FifPro, which is backing Diarra’s latest lawsuit. “The decision to pursue litigation followed unsuccessful attempts at amicable settlement, with Fifa declining to engage constructively to resolve the rightful demand by the player to be compensated for his career losses,” the union said.
The news also follows an announcement two weeks ago of a class-action lawsuit being brought against Fifa, with lawyers estimating that all players during the period the rules were in force could have had their lifetime earnings reduced by as much as 8%. Diarra’s lawyers, the Belgian firm Dupont-Hissel, who are also behind the Justice for Players class action, said they expect a verdict in the case within “12-15 months”.
“I am doing this for myself and if I have been able to hold out against the Fifa steamroller, it is because I had a good career,” Diarra said. “But I have also done it for all the up and coming, lesser known players who do not have the financial and psychological means to challenge Fifa before real judges.”
In a statement Fifa said: “Since the ECJ issued its ruling in the Diarra case in October 2024, Fifa has been working with its stakeholders to amend its regulations following the guidance offered by the ECJ. Fifa does not comment on ongoing legal matters.”
