It feels as if we have been waiting for ever for another legal ruling that would not only change the face of football but be synonymous with a single professional player. At long last we might have a new Bosman. The verdict delivered by the court of justice of the European Union (CJEU) on Friday – AKA the Lassana Diarra ruling – will almost certainly lead to significant change in the game.
This legal process, which started nine years ago, is still not finished. Ultimately, it will be up to Belgian courts to rule whether key Fifa laws relating to the transfer market are a going concern. But given these final considerations must be made within the jurisdiction of EU law, and that the EU’s top court has said that Fifa’s rules “in several respects go beyond … in some cases well beyond … what is necessary”, we can assume that the status quo may well be on its last legs.
