Abstract
The trio of rulings handed down by the CJEU on 21 December 2023 have certainly sparked much discussion and debate amongst sports lawyers across the world during the past few months. In this commentary, the authors discuss the Royal Antwerp ruling and outline the CJEU’s assessment of the compatibility of the Belgian Football Association’s ‘home grown player’ rules with EU free movement law, the practical implications of the ruling and, the potential impact it may have on UEFA’s own ‘home grown player’ rule and the wider football transfer system.
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Notes
Judgment of 21 December 2023, International Skating Union v Commission, C-124/21.
Judgment of 21 December 2023, European Superleague Company, C-333/21.
Judgment of 21 December 2023, Royal Antwerp Football Club, C-680/21.
Union Royale Belge Sociétés de Football Association v Bosman (C-415/93) [1995].
Para. 6 of Royal Antwerp (footnote 3).
Para. 141 of Royal Antwerp (footnote 3).
Para. 7 of Royal Antwerp (footnote 3).
Para. 146 of Royal Antwerp (footnote 3).
Para. 150 of Royal Antwerp (footnote 3).
UEFA (2023), Investing in local training of players: Key messages. https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefa/UEFAMedia/273604_DOWNLOAD.pdf Accessed 11 January 2024.
UEFA. Protecting Young Players. https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/protecting-the-game/protection-young-players/. Accessed 10 January 2024.
See footnote 11.
UEFA (2023, p. 27).
Sports Business Journal (2016) French Football League Looking At Homegrown Player Quota System For Ligue 1. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2016/09/08/International-Football/Ligue-1-Quota.aspx. Accessed 10 January 2024.
Para. 147 of Royal Antwerp (footnote 3).
UEFA (2023), Investing in local training of players: Key messages. Investing in local training of players: Key messages (uefa.com) Accessed 11 January 2024.
Dalziel et al. (2013).
Dalziel et al. (2013, p. 8, para 20).
UEFA (2023, p. 29).
UEFA (2023, p. 30).
UEFA (2023, p. 28).
UEFA (2023, p. 31).
Kay, O (2023) Selling homegrown players: Good for the balance sheet, sad for the soul. The Athletic. https://theathletic.com/4823299/2023/09/01/homegrown-transfers-palmer-hall/. Accessed 10 January 2024.
see footnote 23.
Paras. 108–110 of Bosman (footnote 4).
Dalziel et al. (2013, p. 7, para 17).
The opinion of Advocate General Szpunar was published: https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=271085&pageIndex=0&doclang=en&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=2486509 (09.03.23).
UEFA (2023, p. 27).
UEFA (2023) UEFA welcomes Opinion of ECJ Advocate General on homegrown players rule.https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/news/027f-177dc6ec1cee-589e9c35d70a-1000--uefa-welcomes-opinion-of-ECJ-advocate-general-on-homegro/. Accessed 10 January 2024.
Annex J.5, UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations (2023).
KEA & ECORYS (2018, p. 52).
KEA & ECORYS (2018, p. 5).
Olympique Lyonnais v Olivier Bernard and Newcastle United (C-325/08) [2010].
Para. 45 of Bernard (footnote 32).
FIFA Circular no.1873 (2023).
References
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Powell, A., Couse, C. Justifying indirectly discriminatory restrictions: can European football’s home-grown players rules withstand the proportionality test?. Int Sports Law J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-024-00262-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-024-00262-z