‘Russian club beat me up to break deal’

A Montenegrin footballer has complained to FIFA and UEFA that his Russian club Kuban Krasnodar violently coerced him into breaking a contract under threat of leaving him damaged for life, reports claimed yesterday.

Nikola Nikezic’s contract was due to run until 2012 but he has alleged he was forced to pull out of the deal after being beaten up and threatened with physical harm.

“I signed a two-year deal with Kuban in March 2010 and helped the club to win promotion into the Premier League last year,” Kommersant quoted Nikezic as saying.

“However, this year club chiefs said they do not need my services anymore and offered me to break the contract. But I refused, asking the club for a transfer move.”

The player added that the club, which is headed by the Krasnodar region governor Alexander Tkachev, refused to transfer him to any other side. Nikezic also said that on March 7, the club manager invited him to go to the club’s training base, where he once again proposed that the player break his contract with the club.

“After my refusal two strongmen came into the room and started to beat me badly, threatening me with maiming and demanding that I sign some papers,” Nikezic said.

“It lasted for about 20 minutes,” he added. “After that I felt completely exhausted and signed the papers.”

After consulting representatives of the players and coaches’ union, Nikezic decided to lodge an official complaint with UEFA and FIFA.

The club has denied the allegations.

“I met with Nikezic and talked to him,” Kuban press spokesman Vyacheslav Ivanov said.

“Some time ago he experienced certain problems when he failed to win a place in the team. He told me he was seeking a new club but issued no complaints at all.”