Russian giants demand ‘unpaid fees’ from English rivals

Spartak Moscow say they are still owed money by West Ham for the loan of midfielder Alex Kral

Russian football club Spartak Moscow are expecting a FIFA ruling in November regarding money which they claim to be owed by English Premier club West Ham United for the loan of midfielder Alex Kral.

Czech international Kral spent the 2021/22 season at West Ham as part of a loan deal which would reportedly earn Spartak a fee of €5.2 million ($5.05 million) across two installments.

But Spartak officials say they have yet to receive part of that money and have taken the case to a FIFA tribunal.

“When do we expect a response from FIFA? In the first ten days of November, we will have a review,” Spartak general director Evgeny Melezhikov told journalists in the Russian capital on Sunday.

Russian outlet Sports.ru reports that the issue stems from sanctions imposed on Russia because of the conflict in Ukraine, and that West Ham are unable to clear the funds with the English FA and Barclays bank.

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Earlier this year, issues surrounding the transfer of funds from the UK to Russia were also said to have put paid to a potential deal for highly-rated Russian teenager Arsen Zakharyan to move from Dynamo Moscow to Premier League giants Chelsea.

Defensive midfielder Kral joined West Ham at the end of August 2021, in a move which gave the London club the option to buy him for €13 million once the one-year loan was completed.

However, the 24-year-old largely failed to impress at the London Stadium, making just one Premier League appearance and playing six matches in total during his time at the Hammers.

Ahead of the 2022/23 season, Kral again moved on from Spartak and joined German Bundesliga team Schalke 04, taking advantage of a FIFA ruling which allowed players to unilaterally suspend their contracts at Russian clubs until next summer because of the conflict in Ukraine.

Kral has played seven games for Schalke across all competitions thus far.

Spartak initially paid Czech team Slavia Prague €12 million to land the 6ft 2in midfielder on a five-year deal back in 2019, after he caught the eye with some impressive performances in the UEFA Europa League.

Kral has made 60 appearances for Spartak across all competitions, providing six assists. He has also been capped 32 times by his country at senior international level.