Football's fight over transfer cash

By Simon Hooper, CNN.com Europe writer

The protracted wrangle over the future of football's transfer system is providing a headache for authorities -- but players could end up with the keys to the sport's treasure chest.

RESOURCE  •  Case histories: Bosman, Karpin  •  A century of record transfers   FIFA/UEFA Taskforce proposals • Minimum age of 18 for international transfers • Compensation for clubs which train young players • Only one transfer per player per year • Two "transfer windows" per year • Transition time to implement new rules    CNN.com Europe More news from our Europe edition

Stars who command huge wages may become even richer if the European Commission loses patience with the feuding federations and rules the existing system of trading players illegal under European Union employment law.

Currently footballers under contract cannot move to another club without a transfer fee being paid between the clubs.

Last year, EU competition commissioner Mario Monti said the system contravened the Treaty of Rome which recognises workers' freedom of movement rights.

He challenged the game's administrators FIFA, the world body, and UEFA, which governs the game in Europe, to put their houses in order or face intervention.

It prompted a planned shake-up which could radically alter a game worshipped by millions of fans.

For many of those fans the subsequent row has raised more question marks over a sport widely seen to be run by big business, big money and big egos.

But the European Commission has shown sympathy to fears within football that abolishing the transfer system could ruin many smaller clubs that rely on income from selling their top players.

The commission was willing to continue discussions with a joint UEFA/FIFA transfers taskforce long beyond its original October deadline.

But that sympathy has been stretched to the limit by the failure of the now fragmented taskforce to meet Monti's challenge.

Its initial plan, which lacked the endorsement of international players union FIFPro, was dismissed as "vague" by Monti.

Further talks in December remained deadlocked and a meeting with the commission scheduled for January 12 was postponed when FIFA forwarded its own proposals to the commission without first consulting the intermediary body.

The sticking point between the taskforce and the commission, and between FIFA and UEFA, is the status of the contract between club and player under the taskforce's revised system.

UEFA, representing the interests of Europe's clubs, wants clubs to be compensated if players leave and contracts to be respected for a minimum period to ensure stability and continuity.

The transfer system currently provides a channel for redistributing wealth to smaller clubs and many fear the loss of this potential revenue would have disastrous consequences for Europe's lower leagues.

FIFA is concerned that the system must be legally watertight.

The recent legal victory of Russian player Valery Karpin, and the landmark case of Jean-Marc Bosman in December 1995, suggest courts will rule in favour of EU employment legislation if players challenge football regulations.

But the commission would be reluctant to accept any FIFA proposals without UEFA's support.

UEFA has the backing of the continent's clubs and controls the prestigious Champions League tournament and its interests would need to be accommodated in any settlement.

Belgian Bosman famously won a ruling from the European Court of Justice that it was illegal for clubs to demand a fee for an out-of-contract player. That was hailed as a victory for player freedoms.

But any further encroachment on the rights of clubs to retain players would push the balance of power even further in favour of an increasingly mercenary player elite, loyal only to their wage packets.

UEFA threatens to cut transfer ties with FIFA
January 15, 2001
Soccer transfer system plans in disarray
October 27, 2000

FIFA
UEFA
European Union

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.