Breach of EU law: FIFA sees transfer system confirmed by ECJ ruling

Breach of EU law: FIFA sees transfer system confirmed by ECJ ruling

Europe’s highest court rules that some FIFA transfer regulations “violate EU law”. This is how the world football association reacts.

The world football association FIFA does not see any far-reaching consequences in the European Court of Justice’s ruling in the dispute over transfer rules. “FIFA is convinced that the legality of the key principles of the transfer system has been reaffirmed by today’s ruling,” said the world governing body. Only two paragraphs of two articles of the FIFA regulations would be called into question. The judgment would now first be analyzed.

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg had previously ruled in the case of French footballer Lassana Diarra that “some FIFA regulations on international transfers of professional football players” violated EU law. Specifically, this concerns the case when the contract is terminated prematurely and the player is punished by his club for this. According to FIFA regulations, the club that would re-sign the player is also liable.

Diarra, whose move from the Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow to the Belgian club Sporting Charleroi did not take place, had sued FIFA and the Belgian association for damages and loss of earnings amounting to six million euros. He complained that FIFA’s transfer rules violated EU law on freedom of movement and competition. The Belgian court then referred the case to the ECJ. The judges now decided that FIFA’s rules overstep the mark.

Diarra’s lawyers see the verdict as a major victory that would affect all footballers, according to a press release. The players’ union Fifpro, which also supported Diarra, said the ECJ had made an “important ruling on the regulation of the football labor market, which will change the landscape of professional football.”

Source: Stern

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