The highest court of the European Union declared on Friday that some FIFA player transfer rules are in violation of EU law.
It happened after former France international Lassana Diarra contested the regulations, claiming they made it more difficult for him to find a new team after his deal with Lokomotiv Moscow was terminated.
Diarra signed a four-year contract in 2013, but it was terminated after a year because he didn’t like what he thought were compensation cuts.
According to federation rules, if a player quits their contract without a ‘fair cause’, the player and any club desiring to recruit them are both liable for paying compensation to the former club.
Additionally, Diarra stated that the regulations prevented a possible deal with the Belgian team Charleroi from working out, and sued fifa for 6 million euros. With the case still making its way through Belgian courts, it was referred to the EU court of justice.
According to the EU court, the FIFA regulations obstruct players’ freedom of movement and club competitiveness.
The court also criticized the federation’s decisions for restricting and impeding European clubs’ ability to compete across national borders.
(Africanews)
