عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Diarra Settles 65 mn Euros Transfer Case with FIFA and Belgian FA

Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File
Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File
TT
TT

Diarra Settles 65 mn Euros Transfer Case with FIFA and Belgian FA

Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File
Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File

Former France international Lassana Diarra has reached agreement with FIFA and the Belgian football association in his long-running 65 million euro ($76 million) legal battle, a source close to the case told AFP on Monday.

The former Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder's challenge to FIFA prompted world football's governing body to amend its transfer rules after a landmark Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) legal ruling in October 2024, but he had been unable to reach a settlement.

The CJEU found that FIFA rules impede the free movement of players by "imposing 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", thereby disrupting the transfer system.

The 35-times capped former France international announced last October that he was turning to the Belgian courts to enforce the CJEU ruling.

Contacted by AFP, FIFA indicated that "following the comprehensive agreement they reached, Mr. Lassana Diarra and FIFA have settled all legal proceedings between them," adding that FIFA "does not acknowledge any wrongdoing and has not made any compensation payments".

Diarra's lawyers told AFP they could not comment at this stage.

The origin of this case lies in Diarra's dispute over the terms of his departure from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014.

Due to a drastic reduction in his salary, Diarra left the Moscow club, but the club deemed the termination unfair and demanded 20 million euros from him, later reduced to 10.5 million euros.

As a result, Belgian club Charleroi ultimately decided against signing the French player for fear of having to bear part of these sanctions.

Following the CJEU's decision known as the "Diarra ruling," FIFA adjusted its regulations on player transfers.

The Justice for Players Foundation also launched a class action lawsuit aimed at achieving greater fairness in transfers, an initiative joined by various national professional footballers' unions, including the French union (UNFP).

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Yamal, Porro Train Apart but Spain Expect Both Fit for World Cup Final

EAST HANOVER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 16: Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro #12 of Spain train separately from the team during the training session at Melanie Lane Training Grounds on July 16, 2026 in East Hanover, New Jersey. Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images/AFP
EAST HANOVER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 16: Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro #12 of Spain train separately from the team during the training session at Melanie Lane Training Grounds on July 16, 2026 in East Hanover, New Jersey. Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images/AFP
TT
TT

Yamal, Porro Train Apart but Spain Expect Both Fit for World Cup Final

EAST HANOVER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 16: Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro #12 of Spain train separately from the team during the training session at Melanie Lane Training Grounds on July 16, 2026 in East Hanover, New Jersey. Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images/AFP
EAST HANOVER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 16: Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro #12 of Spain train separately from the team during the training session at Melanie Lane Training Grounds on July 16, 2026 in East Hanover, New Jersey. Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images/AFP

Spain's Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro trained separately from the rest of the squad on Thursday as they began preparations in New Jersey for Sunday's World Cup final against Argentina.

The pair lay on the pitch at one of Red Bull New York's training facilities during the opening session for Luis de la Fuente's side.

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) told Reuters that both players are expected to ⁠be available for ⁠Sunday's match and that their separate work was a precautionary measure as part of workload management.

De la Fuente said after Spain's semi-final win over France that Porro had been carrying a knock. Reuters understands the full back ⁠has suffered a hamstring strain, although the problem is not considered serious.

Yamal's situation appears less concerning. De la Fuente said after the France match that the teenager had "nothing", but the physical effects of his duel with Lucas Digne and Theo Hernandez were visible the following day, with the forward nursing aches and bruises from a demanding match.

Spain's priority is to ⁠ensure ⁠Yamal, Porro and the rest of the squad are as fresh as possible for the final.

For the rest of the squad, the 15 minutes of training open to the media passed without incident, with the players relaxed and upbeat despite humid conditions and temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Spain have three days to adjust to the heat and humidity before playing only their second outdoor match of the tournament.

Sports

Fiorentina Sign Bournemouth's Jimenez on Loan

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's Alex Jimenez in action with Arsenal's Leandro Trossard REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's Alex Jimenez in action with Arsenal's Leandro Trossard REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
TT
TT

Fiorentina Sign Bournemouth's Jimenez on Loan

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's Alex Jimenez in action with Arsenal's Leandro Trossard REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 AFC Bournemouth's Alex Jimenez in action with Arsenal's Leandro Trossard REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Fiorentina have signed 21-year-old Spanish right back Alex Jimenez from Bournemouth on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent, the Serie A club said on Thursday.

Jimenez made 32 appearances across all competitions for Bournemouth last season, but the Spaniard was dropped in May as the Premier League club omitted him from their squad while ⁠investigating social media ⁠posts linked to the player.

According to Reuters, Bournemouth did not provide further details and Jimenez did not respond to requests for comment made to his representatives at the time.

Fiorentina did not disclose the ⁠financial terms of the deal, although Italian and British media reported the option to buy is worth about 20 million euros ($22.88 million).

"ACF Fiorentina announces that it has acquired, on a loan basis with an option to buy, the sporting rights of player Alejandro Jimenez Sanchez from AFC Bournemouth," the Italian club ⁠said ⁠in a statement.

Jimenez joined Bournemouth permanently from AC Milan in February after an initial loan spell and made 31 Premier League appearances last season, scoring one goal.

A product of Real Madrid's academy, Jimenez moved to Milan in 2023 before joining Bournemouth, where he established himself as a regular in the first team.

Sports

Nike Out of World Cup Contention as Adidas-outfitted Teams Head to Final

Shoppers walk by an Adidas sportswear store promoting the FIFA World Cup event at an outdoor shopping mall, in Beijing, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers walk by an Adidas sportswear store promoting the FIFA World Cup event at an outdoor shopping mall, in Beijing, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
TT
TT

Nike Out of World Cup Contention as Adidas-outfitted Teams Head to Final

Shoppers walk by an Adidas sportswear store promoting the FIFA World Cup event at an outdoor shopping mall, in Beijing, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers walk by an Adidas sportswear store promoting the FIFA World Cup event at an outdoor shopping mall, in Beijing, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Nike's swoosh will be notably absent from the World Cup final. Argentina's semi-final win over England on Wednesday crushed the sportswear giant's hopes of sponsoring a team on the tournament's biggest stage on Sunday.

Amid a fierce brand battle on and off the pitch, the outcome represents an assured visibility boost for rival Adidas , which outfits both finalists: Argentina and Spain, Reuters reported.

Adidas had sponsored a total of 14 national teams in the tournament. None of Nike's 12 teams, including semi-finalists England and France, managed to secure a spot in the final match. Both companies have invested heavily in the soccer tournament, but Nike has been relying on it for sales and visibility as it tries to right its ship amid years of steadily shrinking market share. Even a World Cup lift was unlikely to shift Nike's trajectory. The sportswear company last month signaled that CEO Elliott Hill's turnaround strategy faced significant obstacles, as persistent weakness in China and a cautious outlook overshadowed a modest fourth-quarter revenue beat. The company's shares have lost nearly a third of their value this year as investors grow impatient with Hill's progress.

"There are more important issues, such as footwear innovation, inventory control, and stabilizing sales and margins in China," said Morningstar analyst David Swartz. "Adidas got more publicity, but that’s just the way it goes."

A Nike spokesperson said the company always wants its athletes and federation partners to go as far as possible, but that "our vision for football has never been tied to a single moment."

Adidas called the World Cup final a "proud moment" for the company, while declining to share sales projections.