Belgian Jean-Marc Bosman won a landmark legal case in 1995 which led to huge fortunes for top footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo while he lives on a small pension
Jean-Marc Bosman has revealed he is living on a pension of only £1,750 a month on the 30th anniversary of the court case which made multi-millionaires of modern day superstars.
And the Belgian, 61, is now seeking the recognition he believes he has never been granted.
The 1995 Bosman ruling banned European clubs from demanding transfer fees for players who were out of contract. It also stopped football authorities capping the number of European players in any team.
The European Court of Justice verdict revolutionised the economics of football and the transfer market. Big teams attracted the best players – and Cristiano Ronaldo became the world’s first billionaire footballer this year with an estimated fortune of $1.4bn (£1.05bn).
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But Bosman, a former Belgium Under 21 midfielder, has suffered following his five-year legal battle after RFC Liege refused to allow him to join Dunkerque in 1990.
He never played again, went bankrupt, was treated for alcoholism and was found guilty of assault against his then partner in 2013.
And Bosman said: “Everything changed afterward: the transfer windows, the number of substitutes. For everyone, for all those who benefited from it — the clubs, the players, FIFA, UEFA — this ruling was a blessing.
“Except for me. For everyone else, it was: the sky is blue, the sea is green, the window is open. For me, it was something else: the sky is blue, my lawn is green, the window is ajar, and I am somewhat under house arrest.”
He added: “For several years now, FIFPro has been telling me that something needs to be done about my pension, which is around €2,000 a month. I’m 61 years old, I’m not getting any younger. I know it’s the players’ money, and they should be asked, but I have one child to support, another who is with me all the time, I had cervical spine surgery in 2019, and I can no longer fully turn my head.
“In 2024, I was supposed to receive a pension of €1,750 with one child to support, but in November, they determined that my disability had disappeared. I am
Bosman revealed he has been given €20,000 by former Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot after his mother and agent Veronique to say: “We want to do something for you, because we see the fight you’ve been through, we understand.”
There was an attempt to raise money from pro footballers but: “After contacting every player in Europe, they gave me a check for €45,000. I did a quick calculation over thirty years: apart from Adrien Rabiot, 45,000 euros divided by 70,000 FIFPro members comes to 64 cents per player.”
He has now published a book – ‘My Fight for Freedom’ – to tell his story.
“Yes, it’s good to spread the word, and tell them (modern players): ‘This is what this gentleman gave you’,” Bosman told L’Equipe. “It was hard all those years. I paid a heavy price.
“Do I feel forgotten? No, certainly not. Avoided, perhaps, but forgotten? No. I’ve never been invited by anyone, and yet, heaven knows how much UEFA, FIFA, or the Premier League, for example, have benefited from my ruling. All the big clubs should be thrilled: what I’ve given them is magnificent. Since the Bosman ruling, Real Madrid has won the Champions League nine times. There have been so many stars at Real, thanks to my ruling, that if they had to give it a second name, they should call it the Hollywood Bosman!
“I’d like a little recognition, all the same. While the name Bosman is known worldwide, is it normal that I’m not even recognized in my own country? I would have loved to be invited everywhere. But I’ve had my quiet little life in my little village. Now, I’m thinking about my children; that’s what’s bothering me.”
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