Middlesbrough Football Club's £7m damages claim over German international Christian Ziege's controversial move to Liverpool was thrown out by a High Court judge yesterday.

But a Boro spokesman said the club intended to challenge the decision.

"We will ask for leave to appeal the decision and hope that it is granted," he said.

The Anfield club was being sued after being fined £20,000 and the player £10,000 by a Premier League inquiry which found there had been breaches of the league's rules prohibiting poaching of in-contract players.

Mr Justice Astill said the Teesside club's action was based on speculation and had no realistic prospect of success.

David Phillips QC, representing Middlesbrough, had told the judge that Liverpool had exploited confidential knowledge of Ziege's contract with Middlesbrough, which allowed transfer negotiations to go ahead if a minimum figure of £5.5m was offered.

He said Ziege was worth £7.5m, the sum offered by Glasgow Rangers and Chelsea in August 2000.

If Liverpool had not made the approaches, Ziege would have stayed with Middlesbrough where he was happy and successful, said Mr Phillips.

The Teesside club had lost more money because his transfer fee would have been enhanced had he stayed and the club would have been more successful in the league.