CAS rejects Mutu appeal against Chelsea damages

Romania striker Adrian Mutu has failed in his bid to overturn an order to pay Chelsea €17.17 million in damages after his appeal was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday.

Now playing for Fiorentina in Italy, Mutu was fired by the English club five years ago following a positive test for cocaine and was instructed to pay the sum by FIFA last year but took his case to sport's highest tribunal.

"The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has today dismissed the appeal filed by the Romanian football player, Adrian Mutu, against the decision rendered by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) on 7 May 2008 in which he was ordered to pay €17,173,990 in compensation... for breach of contract," CAS said in a statement yesterday.

Cristian Sarbu, one of Mutu's lawyers, said he might now take the case outside the sporting courts.

"If you are not satisfied with a sports court decision then you resort to civil courts. I am confident the matter will continue with this angle," Sarbu said.

Mutu, who scored 13 Serie A goals last season, last year described the decision as inhumane and said his offence did not justify such a huge sum.

The Romanian Players Union added that if an English player had committed the same offence, he would only have been fired but would not have had to pay any damages.

It was the third time the case had come before the Lausanne-based court.

Chelsea terminated Mutu's contract in October 2004, one year after joining them from Parma, but the 30-year-old has since rebuilt his career at Juventus, after serving a seven-month ban for the cocaine offence, and Fiorentina.