Revolution in football? ECJ judgment questions FIFA rules!

Revolution in football? ECJ judgment questions FIFA rules!

In a pioneering judgment, the ECJ (European Court of Justice) decided on the FIFA transfer rules, which could trigger a lot of movement in the world of football. The case of the former French professional footballer Lassana Diarra, who defended himself against his old, Russian Club Lokomotive Moscow, has raised central questions about international transfers with regard to the regulations. This judgment has already triggered violent reactions and could be groundbreaking for future transfer practices.

The judgment states that certain provisions of FIFA violate international transfers from professional football players. A particularly controversial point was that a player who has terminated his employment contract early without a valid reason - as Diarra was - has to expect a penalty and possible locks. In the specific case, FIFA provided for a claim of 10.5 million euros. However, the ECJ found that such punishments disproportionately burden both the players and the clubs they want to sign.

reactions and perspectives

Diarra and his legal advisor had sued the Belgian Football Association and the FIFA in order to receive compensation for earnings and damages in the amount of six million euros. The decision of the ECJ is seen as a "great victory" for Diarra, whose switch to Sporting Charleroi did not come about due to the disputes with his former club. The FIFPRO player union emphasized that this judgment has far -reaching importance for regulating the labor market in football and could change the professional football landscape.

In contrast, FIFA considers the judgment as a confirmation of the most important principles of its transfer regulations, and remains in its position that only a few paragraphs of two articles are questioned. She is now facing the challenge of adapting her procedures, which concerns many details in a 102 -page document of the regulations.

The effects of this judgment could be far -reaching. According to experts, such as sports rights Paul Lambertz, it remains to be seen how the best rules in FIFA will be regulated in the future. It is clear that the specific case around Diarra is first returned to the Belgian court that had consulted the ECJ. While FIFA is currently analyzing what this judgment means for all its processes, voices are voices that urge the transfer rules.

The ECJ has stated that the freedom of the players in the current regulation is not sufficiently preserved, and there are certain legal and financial risks for the associations who want to sign a player. While football wants to maintain its dynamics and the competitive environment, the new developments show that it is time for changes to protect both the rights of players and to improve competitive conditions.

At first glance, the judgment may appear like a revolution, but experts like Lambertz warn that a complete “revolution” in the system is not yet in sight, since the sanctions for players continue to exist in the early termination. This leads to the question of whether the existing contracts have to be revised to ensure future legal certainty.

The debate about the FIFA transfer rules will certainly gain intensity in the coming weeks and months. The ball is now in the field of FIFA and it remains exciting to see which concrete changes you will do in response to this groundbreaking judgment.

For detailed further leaderships for this matter, in particular about the effects and the next steps of the FIFA, further reports on www.antennemuenster.de published.