Ex-Chelsea star wins legal battle over transfer dealings breaking EU law

The final verdict went in favour of the former Premier League star

After a long legal battle between Lassana Diarra and Fifa, the European Court of Justice's decision went in favour of the former player.

After the termination of his contract in 2014 at Russian outfit Lokomotiv Moscow, Diarra's legal team challenged some of the rules.

The legal team argued that some of the rules imposed by the footballing global governing body restricted his freedom of movement, breaching competition law.

Fifa was then sued for damages.

The court's judgement stated that, by refusing to provide Diarra with an international transfer certificate (ITC) for a proposed move to Belgian club Charleroi in 2015, Fifa demonstrated that its rules "impede the free movement of professional footballers wishing to develop their activity by going to work for a new club".

A Fifa spokesman stated: "Fifa is satisfied that the legality of key principles of the transfer system have been reconfirmed in today's ruling.

"The ruling only puts in question two paragraphs of two articles of the Fifa regulations on the status and transfer of players, which the national court is now invited to consider."