Soccer-FIFA says it has settled with Diarra in player transfer rights case


Soccer Football - Coupe de la Ligue - Stade Rennes vs Paris St Germain - Roazhon Park, Rennes, France - January 30, 2018 Paris Saint-Germain’s Lassana Diarra warms up before the match REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

June ⁠8 (Reuters) - FIFA has reached a settlement with former ⁠France midfielder Lassana Diarra in a player transfer ‌rights case, the global soccer body said on Monday.

Diarra had been seeking 65 million euros ($75 million) in damages from FIFA and the ​Belgian FA after the European Union's ⁠top court (CJEU) ruled in ⁠October that some world soccer body rules breached EU laws.

FIFA ⁠had ‌fined Diarra 10 million euros after the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid player left ⁠Lokomotiv Moscow one year into a four-year ​contract in 2014.

"Following ‌the global agreement they have reached, Mr Lassana ⁠Diarra and ​FIFA have settled all legal proceedings between them," FIFA 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 lawyers have yet to respond to a ⁠Reuters request for comment.

FIFA later amended its transfer regulations after the CJEU ruling, adopting an interim framework on the calculation of compensation payable and burden of proof ​if there is a breach of ⁠contract.

The "Diarra ruling" has since prompted about 20 European national ​player unions to pledge their support ‌to a Europe-wide class action ​against FIFA.

($1 = 0.8679 euros)

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Toby Chopra)

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