Players seek compensation in Carlos Tevez affair

Sheffield United players are seeking compensation from West Ham United for loss of earnings, their lawyer said yesterday in a fresh twist in the long-running dispute over Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.

On Monday, the clubs reached an out-of-court settlement for compensation to seemingly end the row that was sparked by Sheffield United's relegation from the Premier League in 2007.

Sheffield United sought payment because Tevez, deemed to have had a key role in West Ham's top-flight survival that year, was ineligible to play for the London club under league rules regarding third-party ownership. He is now at Manchester United.

Despite the clubs' settlement, some members of Sheffield United's 2007 squad are pursuing personal compensation.

"I have been in correspondence with the lawyers acting on behalf of West Ham FC for some time now," players' lawyer Chris Farnell told Reuters in an e-mail.

"The players' claim will continue irrespective of the settlement between the clubs."

British newspaper The Times reported that some 20 players were seeking 4-5 million pounds in total.

Warnock's stance

Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock further ensured the so-called Tevez affair was far from over by saying he was seeking legal advice about making his own claim.

"I wanted to get this (clubs' settlement) out of the way first... I know the players are looking again and I've been taking legal advice myself," Warnock, now manager of Championship side Crystal Palace, said.

"I just feel very bitter that I'm not a Premiership manager still. I don't think anything can compensate you for losing your Premier League status. Everybody knows it was my dream job.

"There is bitter disappointment knowing that Tevez should not have been in the team the last few weeks. If the rules had been adhered to we wouldn't have been relegated."

West Ham United were fined a record 5.5 million pounds by the Premier League in April, 2007 over the transfers of Tevez and Argentine compatriot Javier Mascherano but escaped a points deduction which would have effectively sealed their relegation.

Warnock told the Daily Mail that Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore should have lost his job over his handling of the issue.

"If it was any other club, Scudamore would have made sure the facts came out," he told the paper.

"I find it amazing that he has kept his job. If it had been a big club, the truth would have come out earlier and it would have been sorted."

The clubs did not disclose how much Monday's settlement was worth but media reported the compensation figure to be around 15 million pounds.