LOSC Lille have failed in their appeal in the verdict of the legal dispute with Sporting Lisbon over the transfer of Rafael Leão. This is reported by the Portuguese newspaper “records“ with reference to information from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. Accordingly, the top French club has to pay part of the 16.5 million euros that the 23-year-old striker was sentenced to in February.
Leão unilaterally terminated his contract with Sporting in 2018 after hooligans attacked the “Lions” training center. Like several other Sporting professionals, the national player justified the contract termination with fear for his safety, including Gelson Martins (27) and Rui Patrício (34). However, Sporting did not want to accept this argument, went to court and was right.
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Rafael Leão (Portugal – AC Milan – market value: €70m)
It was also decided that Lille would have to pay the legal costs of the August 22 hearing of 57,000 euros and compensate both Leão and Sporting with 67,000 euros each for their participation in the appeals process. The final sum that Sporting receives is now to be confirmed by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC).
Dispute with Sporting settled: Impact on Leão’s extension at AC Milan
The verdict, the media from Portugal and Italy unanimously report, could also give impetus to the extension AC Milan is aiming for with the most valuable player of the 2021 champions. The Rossoneri signed Leão from Lille in 2019 for €29.5m and his contract runs until 2024. Milan sports director Paolo Maldini recently made it clear that this should be extended as soon as possible.
According to reports, however, there has not yet been a breakthrough in the talks because the Italians are said to have promised Leão to help him financially to cope with the punishment. As soon as the exact amount that the winger has to pay to Sporting has been determined, the new contract can also be fixed. Milan is said to have made it clear with the offer that the player of the season in Serie A 2021/22 really had to extend.
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