FIFPro: Transfer system faces biggest threat since Bosman
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BRUSSELSSep 19, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by
Sep 19, 2015 12:00 am
The world players' union FIFPro said it had launched the biggest challenge to the transfer system since the 1995 Bosman ruling after it lodged a complaint at the European Commission on Friday.
In a legal action directed against soccer's governing body FIFA, the union claimed that the current transfer system was anti-competitive, unjustified and illegal.
FIFPro president Philippe Piat said the transfer system, in which players are traded among clubs for fees ranging from a few thousand to tens of millions of euros, represents "the interests of cartels."
FIFPro added that, away from the glamour of the big leagues and the Champions League, thousands of players struggled to get paid on time. The Dutch-based union said it had asked the European Commission to explore its argument that the transfer regulations prevented clubs from fairly competing in the market to acquire sporting talent.
In doing so, the regulations harmed the interests of players, small and medium sized professional clubs and their supporters, FIFPro said.
The case involving former player Jean-Marc Bosman paved the way for players in the European Union to move to other clubs at the end of a contract without a transfer fee being paid. It had a major impact internationally.
The current transfer rules, which are governed by FIFA's Rules on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), have been in force since 2001 after they were accepted by the European Commission.
However, FIFPro said they had failed to achieve the original goals such as contractual stability, redistribution of revenue, competitive balance, integrity and stability of competitions, as well as the training of young players.
FIFPro said its aims were to create the highest possible number of quality jobs for players, ensure players were paid on time and that penalties and compensation for breaches of contract were evenly weighted between clubs and players.
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