Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has been ordered to pay €17 million in compensation to Premier League giants Chelsea,and FIFA could bring his career to an abrupt end if he doesn’t pay thefull sum, but the Romanian has now received some more welcome backing. The 30-year-old was sacked by the London club after failing a drugs test in 2004 and went on to sign for Turin club Juventusas a free agent, and the Italian Players’ Association (AIC) vicepresident, Leonardo Grosso, believes the Bianconeri could get suckedinto the case. “We will fight for Mutu because we feel it isunjust that a player has to pay such an abnormal sum,” he explained inan interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. “And alsobecause we are perplexed that Juve were not involved: an article of theFIFA rules contemplates joint and several liability, that is theliability of the club for which the player was registered afterChelsea.” Fiorentina and the Italian Football Federation, alongwith the AIC, have all pledged to stand by Mutu, who is consideringtaking the matter to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, which could reversethe sentence on procedural grounds. The deadline to lodge an appeal isset for September 15. Goal.com