Belgian court could put FAI in no-win situation

IRISH MEP Brian Crowley has warned that a football compensation case currently before the Belgian courts could have serious financial implications for the FAI.

A leading Belgian club Charleroi, backed by 18 of Europe’s wealthiest clubs, is seeking compensation after one of its players, Abdelmajid Oulmers, was injured while on international duty with Burkino Faso in November 2004, and missed the rest of the season.

That incident has given rise to a test case in which clubs like Real Madrid and Man United are demanding that, in future, the national associations pay players’ club wages while they are on international duty. And if a player is injured while playing for his country, they want the association to pay his wages for the duration of the time he is out of action for his club.