FIFA, I want my freedom back
Justice for Players is taking legal action against FIFA and the national football associations on behalf of all current and former professional footballers. The FIFA imposes transfer rules that restrict your freedom as a player and have caused financial harm to all players – whether at top clubs or in lower divisions – who have been contracted by a club in the European Union or the United Kingdom since 2002. This is both unfair and unacceptable.
Whether you play for a top club or lower division, you should be entitled to compensation. Former players who ended their career are also eligible, provided at least part of your career took place since 2002.
Why is JFP bringing this legal action?
European law is clear: every player should have the freedom to decide for themselves where they work. Yet FIFA’s past and current transfer rules restrict the free movement of players. The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that FIFA’s transfer rules are illegal.
The Court of Justice of the European Union recently ruled – in Diarra – that FIFA’s transfer rules violate your rights. The case specifically concerns two articles in FIFA’s Regulation on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP):
Article 17
If you terminate your contract against your club’s will, both you and your new club are jointly and individually liable to pay compensation to your former club, such compensation being fixed pursuant to unlawful and disproportionate criteria. Your new club may also face penalties, such as a ban on signing new players. And you could also be subject to disciplinary sanctions.
Article 9 of annex
If you have a dispute with your old club, the national football association can refuse to issue the paperwork (international transfer certificate) you need to transfer abroad. That means that you are unable to join a club in another country.
These rules have been in place since 2001, allegedly to “protect stability” in football. But in reality, they restrict your freedom and ability to shape your career and give the FIFA too much power. Every other EU worker can quit their job and look for work elsewhere.
What are the damages sought?
Research by economic experts Compass Lexecon has found that FIFA’s transfer rules have cost players approximately 8 percent in lost salary. That is because FIFA’s rules makes moving between clubs much more difficult and less frequent than it might otherwise be. The power of FIFA has indeed negatively impacted your bargaining power.
Younger players and those in lower divisions, as well as those on short-term contracts are affected by these rules as well. They have even less negotiating power and fewer options available to them to advance their careers or earning potential.
Reclaim your rights
