Lautaro Martínez wins appeal in Milan court over €8 million agency fee dispute

Lautaro Martínez, Argentine forward and one of the leading figures in European and international football, has obtained a favourable ruling from the Corte d'Appello di Milano, which dismissed all claims of nearly €8 million brought against him by sports agency NF Consulting in connection with a mandate agreement relating to his transfer to Inter in 2018.

In its judgment published on 28 April 2026, the Court confirmed the first instance decision, declaring the mandate agreement null and void. The defence demonstrated that the contract, although formally filed with the FIGC Commissione Agenti Sportivi, had not been filed in compliance with federal regulations and lacked certain essential requirements under the FIGC rulebook. The Court of Appeal reaffirmed that such requirements are not mere bureaucratic formalities, but represent substantive guarantees for the transparency, fairness and legal certainty of sporting relationships, compliance with which is essential for those relationships to produce legal effects before ordinary courts.

The case also involved an international dimension, with coordination between the Italian and Spanish legal teams.

Lautaro Martínez was assisted by LCA Studio Legale, with a team comprising Federico Venturi Ferriolo and Nicolò Peri from the sports law department, and Gian Paolo Coppola and Giacomo Cioccarelli from the litigation department. LCA collaborated with Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo, with attorneys Juan de Dios Crespo and Alessandro Mosca, and with attorney José María Relucio, counsel for sports agency Footfeel.

This decision confirms a principle of particular importance in sports law: compliance with federal rules cannot be regarded as a mere formal requirement, but is the necessary prerequisite for ensuring the validity and effectiveness of sporting relationships before ordinary courts. (Federico Venturi Ferriolo)

Image: © Ambito