Caley hit for six as Niculae wins cut.

INVERNESS were reeling last night after being told to fork out pounds 132,500 to Marius Niculae.

The order was issued by FIFA but the shell-shocked club have demanded an explanation and may appeal to the Court of Sport Arbitration.

The cash represents a third of the fee Dinamo Bucharest paid for Niculae in summer, 2008.

But Inverness insist the Romanian striker is not entitled to a slice of the transfer because he instigated the move.

If the club are forced to fork out it will strip away more than half the parachute payment received after relegation from the SPL last season and blow a massive hole in their already restricted finances.

Hitman Niculae arrived at the Caledonian Stadium in 2007 on superior wages that brassed off many of his team-mates.

The former Sporting Lisbon player scored only 10 goals in one season but revived his flagging international career and won a place in Romania's 2008 European Championships squad.

Inverness are adamant Niculae then engineered the switch to Dinamo.

Chairman George Fraser said: "The SPL contract is clear. If a club sell a player he is entitled to 30 per cent of the fee.

"However, in a case where the player instigates the transfer he is not entitled to that money.

"Marius advised us we would get offers from other European clubs for his services and didn't want to go on a pre-season tour of Denmark.

"He wanted to go to Bucharest which we allowed him to do in order to negotiate a transfer.

"We then received an offer from Dinamo that we accepted.

"He instigated the transfer and hence should not be entitled to the 30 per cent."

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SLICE: Marius Niculae