Fiorentina
have lodged a complaint with FIFA over Mohamed Salah’s loan move from
Chelsea to Roma.
The Premier League champions allowed Salah, a January 2014 arrival from
Basel, to join Fiorentina on loan in February and the Egypt winger impressed
in Serie A.
Fiorentina have now complained to the world governing body after Salah
joined their domestic rivals Roma on a season-long loan this summer,
alleging breach of contract. The claim is being investigated.
"We can confirm having received a claim from the Italian club, ACF
Fiorentina, against the English club, Chelsea FC, and the player, Mohamed
Salah Ghaly, for breach of contract," a FIFA spokesperson said.
"The matter is still pending and being investigated."
Chelsea declined to comment, but technical director Michael Emenalo has
defended the club's loan policy after 33 players left on a temporary basis
over the summer.
The Londoners have allowed Juan Cuadrado - bought from Fiorentina for £23.3m
in January - to move to Juventus, while Victor Moses joined West Ham for the
2015/16 season shortly after signing a new four-year contract.
Nathaniel Chalobah and Marco van Ginkel are among the other senior players
now playing at other clubs, at Napoli and Stoke City respectively.
"Sometimes the timing is not right for them," Emenalo told Chelsea TV. "For
example we got Juan Cuadrado straight after a very difficult game at Spurs
and we had to change our strategy for the rest of the season.
"That didn't suit the reason for which we had already gone to get him. So we
felt it would be better for him to go and rediscover his confidence and he
hasn't just gone to any other team... he's gone to Juventus.
"These players go to top clubs and when they get there they prove we don't
recruit bad players, just like Salah did last season."
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