De Lucas sues Blues over £3m

14 April 2012

Chelsea flop Enrique De Lucas is suing his former club for £2.78million in lost earnings. The 25-year-old, who left Stamford Bridge for Spanish side Alaves last summer, has issued a High Court writ claiming he is owed three years' worth of salary and other benefits.

De Lucas was Chelsea's only close-season signing the year before Roman Abramovich's takeover, but despite mounting debts at the time he was still handed a generous pay packet.

Following a contractual row, the Spaniard is now claiming for unpaid salary of around £900,000 per annum, plus loss of bonuses on a four-year contract which could push his demands over the £3m mark.

Standard Sport has obtained a copy of the writ, which provides a rare insight into the pampered life of a Premiership footballer.

The basic details of De Lucas's alleged contract are listed and they would be similar to what most elite players could expect. The provisions include:

An annual salary of £833,000 in his first season, rising to £875,000 for the next two years and £916,000 in his final year, plus performance bonuses.
An appearance fee of £2,000 for every first-team game in which he plays more than 45 minutes.
An allowance of £2,000 per month for housing costs.
A two-litre car provided and chosen by the club. Chelsea were also responsible for petrol, oil and the first £250 of any insurance claim.
Private medical cover for De Lucas, although the player had to pay for his family to be included on the club medical policy.
A 7.5 per cent cut of any transfer fee Chelsea received from any future deal.

The midfielder's writ centres on a dispute over his status before his move from Espanyol to Chelsea for no fee in July 2002.

When the player first arrived at Stamford Bridge, it sparked a huge row with Alaves, whose president insisted De Lucas had already signed for them. He even threatened to report the matter to FIFA's disciplinary panel.

For their part, Chelsea are also thought to believe he joined Alaves, but on an unusual pre-contract which allowed him to play abroad for one season before returning to the club - hence his move to England.

Since De Lucas subsequently failed to sparkle in 20 games for manager Claudio Ranieri, Chelsea were happy to see him head back to Spain last July under the terms of the pre-contract.

De Lucas disputes this, arguing the agreement with Alaves did not comply with FIFA regulations. In the writ, his lawyer argues it is "clearly not a contract" under FIFA rules because of the bizarre clause which allowed for the player to spend his first season outside Spain.

He also claims it was superseded by the four-year contract supposedly agreed with former Chelsea chief executive Trevor Birch - which theoretically tied him to the club until July 2006.

The financial security offered by this lucrative contract and the glamour of Chelsea's Champions League campaign are a far cry from De Lucas's current surroundings.

Alaves were relegated from the Primera Liga last season so De Lucas has been plying his trade in the Spanish second division. His side are now fourth in the table, with promotion by no means certain.

When De Lucas departed for Alaves last summer, a Chelsea spokesman said: "The club thank Enrique for his efforts and wish him well for the future."

Chelsea today declined to comment on the impending court action over the matter.

MORE ABOUT

Chelsea F.c.

De Lucas sues Blues over £3m

Read More