Soon the end of the transfer market as we know it after the Diarra affair?

“Revolution”, “earthquake”: several terms were used following the decision taken by the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Lassana Diarra case. The body ruled that FIFA rules on player transfers violate European Union law

“For Lassana Diarra, who dared to defy the all-powerful FIFA and who has been waging a legal battle for 10 years (with the support of FIFPRO, FIFPRO Europe and UNFP over the last 3 years), It’s a total victory”indicated the lawyers of the former OM player.

But now, what should we expect?

“The entire economic logic behind the transfer market is undermined today”explains to AFP Pieter Paepe, the lawyer for FIFPRO, the international players’ union. “The Court does not say that players have the right to terminate their contract without any consequences, but that the compensation is disproportionate and that the unamortized transfer sum cannot be included. FIFA also plans a sporting sanction against the player, and this is also disproportionate for the CJEU. »

FIFA could therefore be required to modify some of its rules to get on point. New rules which could allow players to unilaterally terminate their contract without penalizing their future club.