The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday said former Chelsea star Adrian Mutu is to appeal a 17.2-million-euro (25.3-million-dollar) fine from FIFA for failing a drugs test.
“Mutu requests the CAS to annul the FIFA decision and to establish that no compensation is in fact due,” the Lausanne-based court said in a statement.
The court said it normally delivers a verdict within four months of the appeal being filed.
The Romanian international said last month he planned to appeal what he called an “unjust” and “inhumane” fine.
Football's global ruling body ordered Mutu to pay Chelsea the massive amount in connection with the striker's failed cocaine test in 2004 while playing for the Premier League club.
The 29-year-old was subsequently fined, banned from playing for seven months and shown the door at Stamford Bridge, eventually moving to Italian giants Juventus in 2005 and is now at their Serie A rivals Fiorentina.
