If FIFA finds out that the lawsuit was sound, Inter could be paying a pretty penny.
European football champion Real Madrid is reportedly suing Inter Milan through the International Football Federation (FIFA) for allegedly urging Luka Modrić to terminate a valid two-year contract. Modrić ultimately stayed at Real Madrid, with a noticeable pay raise, in the end, reports Gol.hr on August 18, 2018.
On August 14, Inter received a letter from FIFA, in which they inform Inter about the claims of Real Madrid and the preliminary investigation. The Milan club replied in writing on August 16, stating that they did not directly contact the 32-year-old midfielder and that they had no grounds for the lawsuit.
Over the past few weeks, Inter, negotiating with mediators and Modrić’s agents, offered the Croatian captain a higher salary than the one he receives in Madrid. At the same time, Inter did not send any offer to Real Madrid, who has signed a contract with Modrić until 2020. Additionally, Inter did not inform the administration of Real Madrid about their intentions, claims the Santiago Bernabéu stadium office.
“A club intending to conclude a contract with a professional player must notify his current club in writing before entering into a negotiation with the player, and the player shall be free to conclude a contract with the other club only if the existing contract expires for six months. Any violation of this provision is subject to sanctions,” FIFA writes. FIFA must now decide whether to open a formal investigation.
Inter has waited for Modrić to demand an early departure from Real Madrid President Florentino Perez. The contract between a player and a club can be terminated only after it expires, which is two years in Luka’s case, or if the two sides agree. Perez had said that Modrić could leave early only if he paid EUR 750 million, the number of damages specified in his contract.
The two-year period while Modrić is under contract is the so-called “protected period”. If an outside club participates in the termination of the contract during that period or encourages a player to terminate it, they are subject to financial and sports penalties.
In Real Madrid, it is clear that Inter has encouraged Modrić to break this contract. Inter, however, replied that they had no contact with Modrić. If they are found guilty, Inter may not be allowed to bring new players during the next two transfer periods. They should also pay a fine.
On Friday, however, the transfer deadline hit in Italy and Modrić will play for Real Madrid against Getafe on Sunday in the first round of the Spanish Championship. If Modrić unilaterally terminated his contract, without paying EUR 750 million in damages, he would have been subject to a fine and four months without official matches.
