Nigmatullin move in doubt

Ruslan Nigmatullin's move from FC Lokomotiv Moscow to Hellas-Verona FC is in doubt after a disagreement between the two clubs.

Uncertain future
With less than two weeks left of the Serie A transfer window, Nigmatullin is still not certain that he will complete his move to Italy after a disagreement over the nature of his transfer. Lokomotiv are insisting that a transfer fee be paid for the Russian international goalkeeper while Verona believe that he should be available on a free transfer.

Lokomotiv demand fee
Lokomotiv believe that since Nigmatullin's initial contract was signed before 1 September, 2001, the rules governing his transfer are the FIFA regulations from 1997. Under these circumstances, Lokomotiv claim that Nigmatullin should not be available as a free agent when his contract at the club expires and are demanding a transfer fee from Verona. Club president Valery Filatov returned from Italy on Friday and confirmed that he had held a meeting with the Serie A club's lawyers. "We agreed that we will send a letter to Verona, to explain our argument," said Filatov. "We will propose that the Italians hold negotiations in Rome on 23 or 24 January."

Verona claim free transfer
Filatov refused to disclose how much he would be demanding as a fee for Nigmatullin but Verona are still insisting that the goalkeeper is available on a free transfer after his contract with Lokomotiv expired. They claim to have signed the player on a free but the Russian Premier-Liga club have refused to send Verona the necessary transfer documentation to complete the deal. "We expected we`d have to wait", Verona sport director Rino Fosci said. "Russia is not ready for the new FIFA transfer rules yet. We acted according to the new legislation on moves".

50 per cent sell-on clause
So far, the only thing that the two clubs have agreed on is that Lokomotiv will receive 50 per cent of Nigmatullin's transfer fee if he is sold on by Verona - an agreement which Fosci described as "very generous" to the Moscow club. Verona hope that Nigmatullin will be able to play in their first fixture in February, against Atalanta BC, but so far Nigmatullin is not officially a Verona player.

Romantsev 'worried'
Russian national team coach Oleg Romantsev expressed his concern about the goalkeeper's plight yesterday. "I am worried about Nigmatullin's situation, and not only because Nigmatullin is in between two clubs," he said. "There is another problem - the media draw too much attention to a player, who just does his job professionally. Newspapers print his photograph on the front page every day. Nigmatullin should be concentrating on getting himself ready for the [2002 FIFA] World Cup."