The background is the former French national team midfielder Lassana Diarra's departure from Russian Lokomotiv Moskva in 2013. Lokomotiv broke with Diarra, claimed breach of contract and demanded from him the equivalent of 200 million kronor. Diarra, on the other hand, demanded compensation from the club.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, Cas, ruled in favor of Lokomotiv, but Diarra claimed that Fifa's rules prevented him from finding a new club – because that club risked having to compensate Lokomotiv.
In October last year, the EU Court of Justice ruled in favor of Diarra and meant that the transfer rules go against both the free movement and competition law in the union.
”100,000 players”
Now, the Dutch group Justice for players says they intend to initiate a class action lawsuit against Fifa and the national football associations in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, and Denmark. A lawsuit will be filed with a district court in the Netherlands later this year, reports the Dutch public service company NOS.
”Preliminary figures show that the number of football players affected may be around 100,000”, the group says in a statement.
According to the group, the figure includes both men and women, both at the international top level and in lower divisions.
As big as Bosman?
The Diarra case may ultimately have as big an impact on international football as the Bosman ruling in 1995, which meant that players can move to a new club when their contract period is over, without a transfer fee to the former employer.
”Previous and even current systems give Fifa far too much one-sided power. In all other professions, people are allowed to change jobs voluntarily", says Justice for players in their statement.
