Soccer-Speed skater Pechstein gets financial help from football union

(Updates with CAS reaction) By Brian Homewood BERNE, July 14 (Reuters) - German Olympic speed skating champion Claudia Pechstein is to get financial backing from the world footballers' union FIFPro in her battle to be awarded damages over a doping ban. FIFPro said the dispute had highlighted its concerns about the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration (CAS), sport's highest tribunal, which was previously criticised by the soccer union in March. However, CAS reacted with "disbelief" and said that FIFPro had recently called for greater collaboration between the two parties. "FIFPro expresses its moral, political and financial support for...Claudia Pechstein, who is leading a legal battle...to defend her innocence and her right to a fair and impartial legal procedure since 2009," FIFPro said in a statement on Tuesday. FIFPro added that "Pechstein's fight for her own rights can positively impact those of thousands of professional athletes around the world, among them the 65.000 footballers represented by FIFPro." The five-times Olympic champion was banned by the International Skating Union (ISU) for two years in 2009 over irregular blood results, although she never failed a drugs test. CAS rejected her appeal against the ban, as did the Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT). But a Munich court said in January it would allow Pechstein to go ahead with a lawsuit demanding more than four million euros ($4.37 million) in damages over lost earnings. "Every athlete as a citizen and worker has the right to a fair process and to be judged in an independent and impartial court," said FIFPro. "The decisions of the regional courts in Germany in Claudia Pechstein's case have confirmed that this right was not duly granted by CAS at the time of her anti-doping case." FIFPro said CAS had played a fundamental role in shaping the football transfer system "which continues to operate with detrimental effect on the players' rights." FIFPro complained that the appointment of arbitrators on CAS panels failed to provide athletes with equal representation or ensure independence. "Urgent reform is needed in which athletes must play an active and equal role," added FIFPro. "We are convinced that Ms. Pechstein with our support will take a historic step in the near future to help install an arbitration system, which respects the rights of all athletes." In a statement to Reuters, CAS secretary general Mathieu Reeb replied: "CAS notes with disbelief that FIFPro is criticising the CAS system after it has collaborated with us to propose independent arbitrators to be appointed to the list of CAS members. "No later than last month, I was in contact with the FIFPro Secretary General who confirmed the intention of FIFPro to collaborate more closely with CAS. "Unfortunately, there are clearly different political streams within FIFPro and one can wonder if it is the role of a football players' union to fund a speed skater who has been found guilty of a doping offence." (Editing by Amlan Chakraborty/Sudipto Ganguly)