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Latest FL Journal Articles
28
Nov
2025
Interview with Datuk Seri Windsor John, AFC General Secretary
Background
Born in 1961, Datuk Seri Windsor John has been a loyal servant of the beautiful game, having witnessed the entire spectrum as a player, coach and administrator.
He was appointed as the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2015 and ever since has been energetically implementing the AFC President H.E. Shaikh...
28
Nov
2025
Diarra’s Saga: Past, Present and Future. A Straightforward Commentary - By Juan de Dios CRESPO PEREZ
Preamble
Diarra’s name is not only that of a football player, as his saga has reached the peak of a Netflix argument and might be as well-known as the likes of Bosman. Nevertheless, do not move so fast and use your brake: this is not a Bosman lookalike. The Belgian player and his lawyers did not ignore some FIFA regulations; rather, they used E...
28
Nov
2025
No Administration, No Force Majeure - By Aspa SOULOUKOU
Civil Court of Athens, 11 June 2025, no. 182/2025
The lack of an administration in a football club shall not be considered as a force majeure event that could lead to the non-application of the two-year deadline.
28
Nov
2025
Greek Supreme Court Limits Ministerial Order to Natural-Person Agents - By Aspa SOULOUKOU
Supreme Court of Greece, 23 April 2025, no. 701/2025
The Supreme Court clarified that Greek Ministerial Order no. 237/2002 applies exclusively to agents acting as natural persons and does not extend to agents operating as legal persons.
28
Nov
2025
Adrien Rabiot Obtains the Reclassification of his Successive Fixed-Term Contracts with PSG into a Contract of an Indefinite Duration
Paris Court of Appeal, 19 June 2025, no. 22/01925, Adrien Rabiot
Not subject to the transitional provisions of the Law of 27 November 2015 (enshrining the specific fixed-term contract), fixed-term contracts concluded from 2014 onwards between Paris Saint-Germain and its former player are governed by national standard labor law regulations, which makes the use of fixed-term contracts conditional on proof of th...
30
May
2025
SFT 4A_346/2024, 2 September 2024 - By Jorge IBARROLA & Flavio PIRRELLO
SFT 4A_346/2024, 2 September 2024
30
May
2025
FIFA and CAS Tighten Grip on “Successor Clubs”: Turkish Teams Face Consequences for Shadow Bankruptcies - By Emin ÖZKURT
In recent years, a troubling pattern has emerged across Turkish football: clubs drowning in debt have begun to reinvent themselves through the creation of new legal entities, name changes and the superficial appearance of fresh starts, leaving behind substantial financial obligations. While this phenomenon has often gone unchallenged domesticall...
30
May
2025
The Case of Patrick Drewes and its Consequences - By Joachim RAIN
Facts
1. On 14 December 2024, the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin (Union) and VfL Bochum (Bochum) took place.
In the 91st minute, after the referee team had indicated an additional time of 5 minutes, at a score of 1-1, a Union supporter threw a lighter from the stand that hit Bochum’s goalkeeper Patrick Drewes on the head.
The ma...
30
May
2025
Illegal Betting in Turkish Football - By Emin ÖZKURT
Introduction
Illegal sports betting has emerged as a significant threat to the integrity and finances of football around the world. In Türkiye, where betting is tightly regulated, an extensive black-market betting industry has developed in parallel to the legal State-sanctioned betting system. The illicit betting market has even infiltrated of...
30
May
2025
Racism Allegations against José Mourinho after his Statement of “Jumping Like Monkeys” - By Emin ÖZKURT
The Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray derby is one of the fiercest and most historical derbies in world football, as the two teams have a long-standing rivalry in the Turkish Super Lig. On 24 February 2025, after the derby match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe ended 0-0, the coaches of the two teams made harsh statements against each other in a high-ten...
30
May
2025
Foreign Referee Appointment in Turkish Football - By Emin ÖZKURT
Turkish football’s fast-paced agenda continues to evolve without losing momentum. In an environment characterized by intense competition and a strong passion for teams, it is no surprise that the agenda moves quickly. However, Turkish football continues to progress unpredictably, driven by numerous events and decisions.
The contribution of all...
30
May
2025
“Net-Salary Clauses”: Hints and Tips - By Stefano LA PORTA and Luigi PRIMICERIO
This article provides guidance for the drafting of “net-salary clauses” in employment agreements between footballers and clubs, in order to protect players from unexpected tax burdens.
Adopting an empirical and practice-oriented approach, this article presents two standard clauses: the first takes into consideration a recent decision from...
30
May
2025
Pandemic and Force Majeure Clause - By Saksham SAMARTH
Introduction
This article analyses the consequences for employers and employees stemming from unforeseen and extraordinary events that arise during a contractual relationship. The COVID-19 pandemic, wars, conflicts, political unrest, earthquakes, currency variations etc. have been some reasons in the football world where employers have often in...
30
May
2025
SFT 4A_406/2024, 30 September 2024 - By Jean-Pierre MORAND & Riccardo COPPA
SFT 4A_406/2024, 30 September 2024
30
May
2025
Failure to Comply with the Exclusivity Clause: The Footballer was Ordered to Pay the Penalty Clause Stipulated in the Agent’s Contract
Riom Court of Appeal, 16 April 2025, no. 24/00426
In sports agent contracts (exclusive common interest mandates), if the intermediary’s remuneration clause is not precisely drafted, it must be declared null and void. As soon as a second agent contract is concluded between the parties, this deficiency is resolved; the extension amendment to the first agreement, declared null and void, which is n...
30
May
2025
Contestation of Lionel Messi’s Transfer to PSG: The Lack of Interest in the Action of a Member of FC Barcelona and a Supporters’ Association of the Club Confirmed on Appeal
Paris Administrative Court of Appeal, 19 November 2024, no. 23PA03997
Invoking an attack on sporting fairness and free competition between football clubs, an association of FC Barcelona supporters and a member of the Catalan club had challenged the LFP’s approval of Lionel Messi’s contract with PSG and the decision of the DNCG not to have taken administrative measures against the Parisian club in view of its finan...
30
May
2025
The Company Dazn Obtains the Blocking of Websites Illegally Broadcasting Ligue 1
Judicial Court of Paris, Interim Order, 7 November 2024, no. 24/12084
The exclusive holder of the audiovisual exploitation rights for the 2024-2025 Ligue 1 season, the company Dazn, had noted that many websites broadcast the championship almost systematically, free of charge, in streaming and live. Called upon to rule on the merits under an accelerated procedure, the President of the Paris Judicial Court noted the...
30
May
2025
The LFP Obtains the Delisting of Websites Illegally Broadcasting the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 Championships
Paris Judicial Court, Interim Order, 16 January 2025, nos. 25/00226 and 24/15307
Despite the pronouncement of a first series of blocks at the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, the French Professional Football League (LFP) had noted that some websites illegally broadcasting the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 championships were still accessible via specific search engines. Noting that the serious and repeated infringements of the LFP’s...
30
May
2025
30
May
2025
Fines, Closures and Ultras: Sanctioning Power Offside - By Carlos M. MORENO CABALLERO & Alexis S. LÓPEZ RAMOS
Violence in the Stadiums
For decades, public authorities in Spain have waged a constant battle against violence and discriminatory attitudes in the sporting arena. Despite legislative advances and institutional commitment, behaviors that call into question the fundamental values of sport - respect, tolerance and coexistence - still persist. Far...
30
May
2025
CAS 2023/A/10243 Club APOEL Nicosia v. Lucas Vieira de Souza - By Ian LAING WS & Elena LA FICARA
CAS 2023/A/10243 Club APOEL Nicosia v. Lucas Vieira de Souza
30
May
2025
The Premier League and Manchester City Legal Battles: An Insight into English Football’s Recent Developments - By Carlos M. MORENO CABALLERO, Aayush KUMAR & Giuseppe CASTELLI
In recent years, the intersection of football and law has become increasingly pronounced, nowhere more so than in the ongoing disputes between Manchester City Football Club and the Premier League. These legal battles, encompassing issues of financial regulation, competition law and procedural fairness, highlight the growing complexity of governa...
30
May
2025
The Rafael Leão Saga - By Luc KASPEREIT & Ronan DAVID
CAS 2023/A/9670 LOSC Lille v. Sporting Club de Portugal & FIFA & CAS 2023/A/9671 Sporting Club de Portugal v. LOSC Lille
30
May
2025
The Status of Icelandic Footballers: Employees or Contractors? - By Árni Freyr SVERRISSON
In light of the ongoing discussions about football players’ contracts in Iceland, and the Icelandic tax authorities’ demands that football clubs treat their players as employees, the clubs have protested, claiming that players should not be employees.
The statement from the managing director of the Icelandic Top Football Association (ÍTF)[1] th...
30
May
2025
The Case of Belenenses and B-SAD: Club Loyalty vs. Corporate Governance in Football - By João NOGUEIRA DA ROCHA
Since the enactment of the Portuguese legislation on Sports Public Limited Companies (Sociedades Anónimas Desportivas - SADs), football governance in Portugal has undergone a profound transformation. Traditional sports clubs, historically managed under associative models, have progressively transitioned to SAD structures. This evolution has intr...