Real Sociedad's Russian international midfield player Valeri Karpin has announced that he is to sue the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for damages following the ruling body's decision to deny him European Union status.

Court judgement
Karpin will demand that the RFEF compensate him for losses sustained by playing as a non-EU citizen since the second week of the current Spanish season. The RFEF had originally accepted the decision of a Spanish labour court last November to grant Karpin European 'B' status as a citizen of a country with commercial agreements with the EU. But with the Supreme Court refusing to uphold the judgment, the RFEF has changed its stance.

'It doesn't make sense'
The former Valencia CF and RC Celta de Vigo playmaker said: "My lawyers and myself will fight this case. There is a judicial decision in my favour, but the Spanish federation does not accept it. Why, after playing as a European with Celta, can I not do so now? Maybe tomorrow, when I wake up, I will be Chinese. It doesn't make sense." Clubs can field up to four non-EU players in the Spanish league.