Marseille are looking for decent compensation off Arsenal for Mathieu Flamini.
Marseille are looking for a sizeable amount of compensation from Arsenal for Mathieu Flamini.Flamini joined The Gunners in controversial circumstances, with Marseille still saying they did not receive the appropriate recompense for the youngster.
Arsene Wenger and David Dein have met with l'OM chairman Pape Diouf, but the French side turned down a ‚é¼480,000 offer from the North Londoners.
Now, Marseille have taken their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and say they are acting for the good of all French clubs who develop talented youngsters.
"In this case, we are just defending our interests, and also the French education interest," said Diouf.
"We didn't ask for money at the start, but the player's reintegration. Today, we have to face reality - it will be difficult to make Flamini come back to Marseille considering the English club's quibbles that were made at the time.
"Anyway, the Court of Arbitration for Sport will make the decision. Now we are trying to promote our young players from the education centre and, with Flamini's example, it is obvious that case has demolished our new philosophy.
"We sustained a loss because, with Flamini's departure, we had to hire the Brazilian Eduardo Costa for ‚é¼6.5 million.
"It is true I met David Dein and Arsene Wenger to have a talk, to know their opinion on the problem and let them understand the compensation they wanted to give didn't suit us."
Marseille are also confident of obtaining treble the amount Valencia paid them for Mohammed Sissoko, who has now joined Liverpool.
