Football’s governing body to review transfer rules after EU court decision
Fifa plans to hold a worldwide discussion on possible changes to its transfer system following a court ruling that some of its rules breach European Union laws.
Earlier this month, the European Court of Justice ruled in favour of ex-Chelsea and Arsenal player Lassana Diarra, who took legal action against Fifa for damages.
Current rules state that when signing a free agent, clubs share responsibility for paying compensation to a player’s previous team if their contract ended without valid reason.
Diarra claimed these rules limited his freedom of movement after his contract with Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow ended in 2014, violating competition law.
The court agreed that Fifa’s refusal to give Diarra an international transfer certificate (ITC) for a potential move to Belgian club Charleroi in 2015 showed its rules “hinder the free movement of professional footballers wanting to pursue their career with a new club”.
Fifa has now announced it will start a “global dialogue” with football stakeholders to adjust the rules.
“Fifa views the Diarra decision as a chance to continue modernising its regulatory framework, which has been one of the Fifa president’s stated goals since 2016,” said Fifa chief legal and compliance officer Emilio Garcia Silvero.
After the Diarra ruling, a Fifa spokesperson said: “Fifa is pleased that the legality of key aspects of the transfer system have been upheld.”
