Lassana Diarra has reached a settlement with Fifa and the Belgian Football Association over his compensation claim, ending a long-running legal battle that challenged the governing body’s transfer rules. The former Chelsea, Real Madrid and France midfielder had initially demanded €65m, arguing that he suffered financial losses after his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow was cancelled and a subsequent transfer to Charleroi in Belgium was blocked in 2014.
Fifa confirmed the outcome on Monday. “Following the global agreement they have reached, Mr Lassana and Fifa have settled all legal proceedings between them,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Fifa has not made any admission of liability nor payment by way of compensation. Fifa will not be providing any further comment at this time.”
Diarra’s claim was brought after a landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) last year, which found that Fifa’s rules on contractual stability restricted his freedom of movement when the move to Charleroi was blocked. The court deemed the rules “contrary to EU law”, prompting an ongoing reform of the international transfer system.
The settlement coincides with a growing class-action lawsuit against Fifa over the same rules. The Justice for Players group, represented by the same lawyers as Diarra, says it has the backing of at least 15 national players’ unions. It argues that the class action “stems from the Lassana Diarra ruling by the CJEU”, which determined that Fifa’s rules, in place since 2002, caused damage to all players affected by them.
