Fulham clash with FIFA

FULHAM yesterday squared up to FIFA in a fresh stg£2 million transfer row — just weeks after losing the stg£3.2 million Steve Marlet case.

Cottagers chairman Mohamed Al Fayed is again on course for conflict with football's world governing body because, as in the Marlet case, he is unhappy with the fee paid for a player in this case Edwin van der Sar.

The Holland goalkeeper arrived in a stg£7 million deal from Juventus in July 2001, but Harrods owner Al Fayed believes he paid over the odds for the shot-stopper, now 33, and is refusing to give Juve the final stg£2 million chunk of his transfer fee.

FIFA have ordered Fulham to stump up but the club have refused and now face a February 29 appeal hearing in London.