Players' union backs Mutu

World players' union FIFPro have pledged their support to Adrian Mutu as he prepares to appeal against FIFA's order that he should pay former club Chelsea £13.68million.

FIFA's dispute resolution chamber announced on Thursday that Mutu must make the compensation payment after testing positive for cocaine while at Stamford Bridge in 2004..

A statement from FIFPro on their website, www.fifpro.org, said: "FIFPro is in disagreement with the decision of FIFA's dispute resolution chamber condemning the Romanian footballer Adrian Mutu to pay an amount of over 17 million euros as 'financial compensation' to his former club Chelsea, after he was caught in a doping test in September 2004 for using cocaine for which reason he was dismissed."

It continued: "FIFPro will assist Mutu when the Romanian player will lodge an appeal."

FIFPro claim an English player in the same circumstances would have been treated differently.

The statement added: "When the same offence would have been committed by a player in possession of an English passport, than this player wouldn't have had to pay any damages at this dismissal, since the FA Premier League rules do not provide this.

"For this reason this can be considered as discrimination based on nationality."

They also state: "It is extremely strange that a player who is dismissed by a club must pay damages based on the transfer amount previously paid for him, whilst he has had no control whatsoever on the amount of this fee."

Romanian striker Mutu was sacked by Chelsea following his failed test and has since rebuilt his career in Italy, where he currently plays for Fiorentina