Justice For Players hopeful of Fifa deal in football class action after Diarra settlement
Justice For Players insists its multi-billion-pound claim against Fifa has been strengthened by the governing body settling with the man who triggered the class action, Lassana Diarra.
Diarra’s lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont confirmed on Tuesday that his client had reached agreement with Fifa and the Belgian football federation over an out-of-court settlement in relation to the European Court of Justice finding international transfer rules to be “contrary to EU law”.
That landmark judgement prompted Fifa to revise its transfer regulations in a process that is still ongoing and Justice For Players to bring a class action on behalf of all footballers who may have been affected by the non-compliant rules.
“It is very positive that Mr Diarra appears to have ended his personal legal battle with Fifa satisfactorily,” said JFP chair Lucia Melcherts.
“By settling with Diarra, Fifa appears to have recognised that its unlawful transfer rules require a remedy. The Justice for Players Foundation is therefore optimistic that we will ultimately also be able to reach a fair solution for other footballers who were harmed by the same rules.”
Fifa settled with Diarra ‘without liability or compensation’
Fifa said this week that its settlement with former France, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal midfielder Diarra did not include “any admission of liability nor payment by way of compensation”.
Diarra brought his claim after having his contract cancelled by Lokomotiv Moscow and then being denied a transfer to Belgian side Charleroi in 2014.
JFP represents “several thousand players from across Europe including the UK” and has the support of at least 15 national player unions.
The group believes 100,000 professional footballers suffered loss of earnings averaging eight per cent over more than 20 years as a result of Fifa’s transfer rules.
JFP is being advised by Dupont, one of the most influential legal figures in sport of the last 30 years, having helped to achieve the landmark Diarra and Bosman rulings.