Haan fined 500,000 euros over Cameroon dispute

Dutch footballing great Arie Haan has been ordered by FIFA to pay the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) 500,000 euros for breach of contract, the national federation announced on Tuesday.

Fecafoot revealed that world football governing body FIFA had made their ruling against 62-year-old Haan on November 16 and also ordered him to pay 20,000 Swiss francs (14,810 euros) in costs.

“The decision was rendered by FIFA’s Players’ Status Commission on November 16 in Zurich,” announced Fecafoot on its website.

“The litigation between the two parties was based on the unilateral termination of the contract between the Dutch coach and Fecafoot.

“Arie Haan has 30 days from being notified of the decision to pay the fine,” it added, revealing that he had been informed of the punishment on November 19.

Haan, a member of the outstanding Dutch side that gave the world Total Football and was on the losing side in successive World Cup finals (1974 and 1978), has 10 days to appeal the decision in writing.

Haan was named Cameroon coach in August 2006 on a two-year contract.

The contract stipulated notably that he had to “live in Cameroon and present a year-long programme to Fecafoot”, neither of which he fulfilled before he announced he was resigning in January 2007.

Cameroon sports authorities took the case to FIFA in March 2007.