FOOTBALL has always believed it did not have to follow the American model.
But if the ramifications of the latest European Court ruling on the game are as claimed by the man who broke the system in the 1990s, we could be entering the Wild West.
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Lassana Diarra’s beef with Fifa’s rules could lead to the end of the current transfer systemCredit: Getty
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Football could be entering a US-styled Wild West after the latest European Court rulingCredit: Getty
For players, it will be like walking into the casinos in Las Vegas with a massive pile of chips but knowing they have already been dealt a winning hand on a loaded table.
Jean-Louis Dupont was the lawyer who beat Uefa over the treatment of Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman.
That landmark judgement meant clubs could no longer demand a fee for a player who was out of contract.
But the secondary repercussions was the end of the “three plus two” rule demanding that clubs fielded a minimum quota of homegrown stars, turning European club football into a continent without borders.
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And even if former Chelsea ace Lassana Diarra’s beef with Fifa’s rules was about his right to walk away from Lokomotiv Moscow when they stopped paying him in 2014, the final outcome could well be the end of the current transfer system.
The ruling of the five senior Judges in the Luxembourg-based Court said: “The rules in question impede the free movement of footballers wishing to develop their activity by going to work for a new club.
“Those rules impose considerable legal risks, potentially very high financial risks as well as major sporting risks on those players and clubs wishing to employ them.”
No wonder a crowing Dupont claimed a “total victory”, adding that the Court had “severely censured the structurally illegal actions of the current regulations”.
More critically, he predicted: “This paves the way for a modernisation of governance, in particular through the use of collective bargaining between employees and employers.”
And that was always Dupont’s end-game as he allied himself with the international players’ union Fifpro to take on Fifa.
Transfer fees could be scrapped in biggest change to football in 30 years after landmark court case brought against Fifa
If clubs cannot demand transfer fees for players who are under contract, then it is all about the package they are offered.
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Either their current club puts so much on the table, with US-style ten-year contracts including massive £100million-plus loyalty bonuses for seeing out the deal, that the player wants to stay.
Or they simply jump when a higher bidder knocks on the door. And whichever is the outcome, the players and their agents win. Of course, Dupont would say that. He is not averse to exaggeration.
On the other side, Fifa attempted to downplay its significance, claiming this was a very narrow ruling with no wider significance.
A spokesman said: “Fifa is satisfied that the legality of key principles of the transfer system have been re-confirmed.
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“The ruling only puts in question two paragraphs of two articles of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.”
Transfers could change
Fifa insiders are pointing fingers at Fifpro, asking what the union hopes to gain.
They do, though, concede the world body should have intervened to grant the International Transfer Certificate which would have allowed Diarra to join Belgian side Charleroi after his fall-out with Moscow and must now rewrite that aspect of its rulebook.
Likewise, the rules that meant Charleroi would have been liable to pay Diarra’s fine from Moscow will also have to go.
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Yet many fear this could be a case of shutting the stable door after the entire herd has bolted.
There are also concerns that the consequences will go way beyond the initial scope of the case.
The judges did rule, specifically, that a “certain degree of stability in the squads of all professional football clubs” was a good thing during a season.
They implicitly backed the current transfer registration windows that mean players can only move in the summer and in January.
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Likewise, if a club can be found, unquestionably, to have “incited” a player to walk out on a rival, then a sanction might be appropriate.
Good luck in getting hold of those WhatsApp messages.
But with the current regulations now deemed to have breached EU law, the very fabric of the transfer rulebook will be in question.
Factory Mercedes driver Jules Gounon will make his DTM debut in this weekend’s final round at Hockenheim, replacing Luca Stolz at HRT.
Double Spa 24 Hours winner Gounon has been drafted into the #4 HRT Mercedes AMG GT3 at the last-minute after Stolz had to withdraw from the Hockenheim races due to health reasons.
No further information was provided about 29-year-old Stolz, who was due to see out his third full season with the team in the German GT3-based series.
A statement from HRT read: “Luca Stolz (GER) of Mercedes-AMG Team HRT has been forced to withdraw from this weekend’s DTM finale at Hockenheim for health reasons.
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“The 29-year-old’s place in the #4 Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be taken by Jules Gounon (AND).
“The Haupt Racing Team thanks Jules for stepping in at short notice and wishes Luca a speedy recovery.”
Gounon brings with him a wealth of experience of GT racing, having won the Bathurst 12 Hour on three occasions and scored class victories in major IMSA SportsCar Championship enduros including Daytona 24 Hours and Petit Le Mans.
His illustrious CV includes two titles in GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Mercedes, as well as the 2017 GT Masters title at the wheel of a Corvette C7.
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Luca Stolz, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT Mercedes-AMG GT3
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
This year has seen the second-generation driver expand his horizons into prototype racing, competing in three rounds of the World Endurance Championship with Alpine in the Hypercar class.
The HRT outfit he is joining in the DTM currently sits fifth in the teams’ standings, two spots behind fellow factory-supported Mercedes team Winward.
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The squad’s best runner in the standings is Arjun Maini in eighth on 128 points, while Stolz is placed just one spot behind in ninth after scoring a first win of 2024 at the Sachsenring last month.
Both drivers are out of the championship fight, although another Mercedes driver Maro Engel (Winward) remains firmly in the hunt in third place, 20 points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti of SSR Lamborghini.
Engel’s team-mate Lucas Auer, the last remaining driver in the four-strong Mercedes roster, sits 12th in the drivers standings.
Ulster: Mike Lowry; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Eric O’Sullivan, James McCormick, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (capt), Harry Sheridan, Cormac Izuchukwu, Marcus Rea, David McCann.
Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Kieran Treadwell and Matty Rea, Nathan Doak, James Humphreys, Jude Postlethwaite.
Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Evardi Boshoff, Owen Williams, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Gareth Thomas, Sam Parry, Ben Warren, Will Greatbanks, Lewis Jones, Lewis Lloyd, Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris (capt).
Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Garyn Phillips, Math Iowerth-Scott, Rhys Thomas, Dan Gemine, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Tom Florence, Max Nagy.
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Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant referees: Andrew Cole & Andrew Fogarty (IRFU)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The PFL: Battle of the Giants pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event in the video above.
The press conference takes place ahead of Saturday’s fight card, which airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN.
PFL: Battle of the Giants is built around two inaugural superfight title bouts. Francis Ngannou (17-3) vs. Renan Ferreira (13-3) at heavyweight, and Cris Cyborg (27-2) vs. Larissa Pacheco (13-3) at women’s featherweight.
Here’s what you need to know about the PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference.
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What time does the PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference start?
The PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference starts at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT, which is 2 p.m. local time in Riyadh.
Who’s taking part in the PFL: Battle of the Giants press conference?
The four fighters scheduled for the superfight title bouts are slated to participate in the PFL: Battle of the Giant press conference: Ngannou, Ferreira, Cyborg and Pacheco.
Max Muncy and Walker Buehler broke down the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dominant 8-0 victory over the New York Mets. They also talked about their standout performances in the Game 3 win.
But a groundbreaking operation, which required his breastbone to be split open, saved his career and enabled him to represent England again and win the Premiership with Saracens in 2023.
However, despite his remarkably quick return, he says it took time psychologically to recover from the procedure.
“[At the time] you just treat it as if it is an injury and you don’t realise how big it is,” Isiekwe said.
“It was kind of like [starting again]. I didn’t expect to have to start again but I have had to roll with it and I feel like I’ve got to the point now I wanted to get to.
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“It was difficult but I think there is something beautiful in the struggle.
“I had it in the back of my mind for quite a long time. But now I feel completely normal – and I don’t have any reservations.”
Isiekwe was a late call-up to the England squad for the summer tour of New Zealand following Charlie Ewels’ suspension, although he did not make an appearance – with George Martin and Maro Itoje starting the two Tests against the All Blacks.
“In the summer I had a few things I needed to work on, from a physical point of view,” he added.
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“But I used the summer to really get right and really push it. I feel great.”
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