Rafa Mir: One Judgement – Three Clubs

On 15 June 2026, the Valencia Provincial Court handed down its judgment sentencing Elche CF player Rafa Mir to eight and a half years’ imprisonment, together with compensation amounting to EUR 84,000 payable to the victim, for sexual assault. This article will mostly focus on the sporting side of things, without entering into the criminal legal battle. It should be noted that the decision of the Valencia Provincial Court can be appealed to the Valencia High Court.

The French FA Refuses to Enforce the “FIFA Ban” Imposed on Girondins de Bordeaux

Placed under judicial reorganization, Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux (FCGB) was subject to a transfer ban imposed by FIFA until the full payment of a transfer debt owed to a Spanish club. Although legally required to extend the effects of this measure to French territory, the Fédération Française de Football (FFF) nevertheless refused to do so, arguing that such an extension would encourage FCGB to disregard the public policy rules governing insolvency proceedings in France.

FIFA’s 2027 RSTP Reform: A New Method and New Rules

On 10 June 2026, the Bureau of the FIFA Council approved a new RSTP, due to enter into force on 1 January 2027. Presented as the most significant reform of the transfer system since 2001, the new framework combines a shift towards social dialogue with substantial changes to the rules governing player mobility, contractual stability and transfer compensation.

Re-Regulating the European Professional Football Labour Market

Quick Links

FL Journals Articles Jurisprudence Regulations CAS Arbitrators

Latest News

Jun

Pascale Van Damme Reelected as Belgian FA President

Latest FL Publication

Football Legal # 24

Special Report: Re-Regulating the European Professional Football Labour Market
Focus: Multi-Club Ownership - Time for a New Framework?

To access Football Legal #24, our Leader and Premium subscribers may click here.

This 24^th edition includes a Special Report dedicated to the re-regulation of the European professional football labour market in the aftermath of Royal Antwerp FC, Diarra and Seraing. Bringing together the contributions first published in Football Legal’s online Series, the Report examines the main questions now facing football: the balance between player mobility and contractual stability, the future of solidarity mechanisms, incentives for youth development, collective dialogue and dispute resolution compatible with EU public policy.

The edition also includes a Focus on multi-club ownership, which has become one of the defining features of modern football investment. The contributions assess the integrity, control, transparency and competition issues raised by MCO structures, from UEFA and CAS case-law to South American regulatory approaches and national developments.

In the Perspectives section, you will find articles on artificial intelligence, digital identity, anti-money laundering obligations, corporate investment models, unilateral extension options, dressing-room violence, strict liability and racism in football.

You will also find our regular selection of recent CAS and Swiss Federal Tribunal case-law, together with international and national updates from several jurisdictions.

Leader and Premium subscribers: to order your paper version, click here (free of charge, excluding shipping costs).

More info

Football Legal # 24