ManU's Marouane Fellaini is suing New Balance for £2.1M ($2.8M) -- claiming its boots "hurt his feet," according to Tom Wells of THE SUN. Fellaini signed a four-year boot deal in '12 but is demanding damages after NB "walked away" from a new £600,000 ($789,500)-a-year contract. Fellaini, 29, said in a writ at London's High Court that the "poor quality" boots needed to be "steamed and stretched" by ManU's kitman "before he could get them on." He claimed that it caused his feet "considerable damage" and that he "repeatedly communicated his frustration." Fellaini's lawyers said that they are also suing for "loss of enjoyment, inconvenience and impact on performance" caused by the boots (THE SUN, 11/5).
ON THE DEFENSIVE: ESPN.com reported NB said that it will "vigorously defend itself." The brand "reportedly countered" Fellaini's claims by saying the player told the company the boots were "perfect." New Balance said in a statement that it was "confident that it has acted appropriately." The statement said, "Although we cannot comment on pending litigation, New Balance can confirm that the company plans to vigorously defend itself and its longstanding record of manufacturing excellence and surpassing the needs of athletes around the world" (ESPN.com, 11/6).