Football: WHEN TWO CLUBS GO TO WAR

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Feb 1, 2004 | by EXCLUSIVE By PAUL SMITH

CHRISTIAN ZIEGE will soon be at the centre of a bitter pounds 15million High Court battle between Middlesbrough and Liverpool.

Boro have become the first club to take on a rival in the civil courts following a massive bust-up over the transfer of Ziege to Liverpool in August 2000.

The landmark case, which will begin on March 22, is expected to last 10 days and is likely to be brutal.

Boro even want to claim money back for having to recruit Terry Venables to save them from relegation.

They say the loss of Ziege, who is now at Tottenham, to Liverpool had a shattering effect on the club and nearly cost them relegation.

The atmosphere between the two Premiership giants is appalling because of the case.

The dispute revolves around an illegal approach by Liverpool for German international Ziege, when sensitive information about a verbal pounds 5m get-out clause in the German's contract was leaked to them.

Boro had inserted the clause in good faith to allow Ziege the opportunity to return to Germany if he failed to settle in England following a pounds 4m move from AC Milan in 1999.

Boro were forced to reject written offers of EUR10m and EUR10.5m from Chelsea and Glasgow Rangers when Ziege made it clear he wanted a move to Anfield and no longer wanted to play for the Teesside club.

Boro were furious and reported Liverpool and Ziege to the Premier League for collaborating. They were subsequently found guilty by an independent commission on March 14 2002.

Liverpool were found to be in breach of Rule K3, which prohibits a club making an approach to a contracted player either directly or indirectly without first obtaining permission of the club to which he is under contract. They were fined EUR30,000.

Ziege, meanwhile, was found to be in breach of Rule K5, which states that "a contracted player, either by himself or by any other party acting his behalf, shall not either directly or indirectly make any approach to a club with a view to negotiating a contract without obtaining the prior written consent of the club to which he is under contract".

He was fined EUR15,000. But the puny punishment infuriated Boro chairman Steve Gibson, who immediately decided to take his case to the courts.

Liverpool initially thought they had escaped any further punishment when proposed action was rejected by the courts last May.

But Boro went to appeal and Lord Justice Simon Brown of the Appeal Court decided there was a case to hear.

Brown ruled that an application by Liverpool for a quick resolution had been entertained without an examination of relevant documents.

Justice Brown said: "It is all very well for Ziege to make categoric written statements of his thinking and intentions but this had not been tested by cross-examination."

Middlesbrough intend to leave no stone unturned in their quest for justice and will not stop short of undermining Liverpool's credibility by producing evidence that is expected to be highly embarrassing for the club and perhaps chief executive Rick Parry.

They are not only suing Liverpool for the surplus EUR3.5m they failed to pick up on the transfer, but they are are claiming for the cost of employing Venables at around EUR1.2m, lost revenue and merchandising and compensation for failing to secure a European place.

In all, with a claim for their entire legal fees, the figure could reach more than EUR15m.

Gibson said: "We lost a very, very prominent player, Christian Ziege, through illegal means. That happened two or three weeks before the start of the season. And when I say illegal means, that's not my verdict, that's the verdict of the Premier League.

"The Premier League found Liverpool guilty of illegal action in taking Christian Ziege to Liverpool at the expense of Middlesbrough. And that had a terrible effect at the club.

"But the club, through its lawyers, will not rest in its pursuit of the truth surrounding this transfer and the role played in it by all those concerned, and for proper recompense for what happened."