This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 62022CA0650
Case C-650/22, FIFA: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 4 October 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour d’appel de Mons – Belgium) – Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) v BZ (Reference for a preliminary ruling – Internal market – Competition – Rules introduced by an international sports association and implemented by that association with the assistance of its members – Professional football – Private law entities vested with regulatory and control powers, and the power to impose sanctions – Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players – Regulations relating to the employment contracts concluded between clubs and players – Early termination of an employment contract by the player – Player required to pay compensation – Joint and several liability of the new club – Sanctions – Prohibition on issuing and registering the player’s International Transfer Certificate while a dispute relating to the early termination of the employment contract is pending – Prohibition of registration of other players – Article 45 TFEU – Restriction on the freedom of movement of workers – Justification – Article 101 TFEU – Decision by an association of undertakings having as its object the prevention or restriction of competition – Employment market – Recruitment of players by clubs – Market for interclub football competitions – Participation of clubs and players in sporting competitions – Restriction of competition by object – Exemption)
Case C-650/22, FIFA: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 4 October 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour d’appel de Mons – Belgium) – Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) v BZ (Reference for a preliminary ruling – Internal market – Competition – Rules introduced by an international sports association and implemented by that association with the assistance of its members – Professional football – Private law entities vested with regulatory and control powers, and the power to impose sanctions – Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players – Regulations relating to the employment contracts concluded between clubs and players – Early termination of an employment contract by the player – Player required to pay compensation – Joint and several liability of the new club – Sanctions – Prohibition on issuing and registering the player’s International Transfer Certificate while a dispute relating to the early termination of the employment contract is pending – Prohibition of registration of other players – Article 45 TFEU – Restriction on the freedom of movement of workers – Justification – Article 101 TFEU – Decision by an association of undertakings having as its object the prevention or restriction of competition – Employment market – Recruitment of players by clubs – Market for interclub football competitions – Participation of clubs and players in sporting competitions – Restriction of competition by object – Exemption)
Case C-650/22, FIFA: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 4 October 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour d’appel de Mons – Belgium) – Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) v BZ (Reference for a preliminary ruling – Internal market – Competition – Rules introduced by an international sports association and implemented by that association with the assistance of its members – Professional football – Private law entities vested with regulatory and control powers, and the power to impose sanctions – Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players – Regulations relating to the employment contracts concluded between clubs and players – Early termination of an employment contract by the player – Player required to pay compensation – Joint and several liability of the new club – Sanctions – Prohibition on issuing and registering the player’s International Transfer Certificate while a dispute relating to the early termination of the employment contract is pending – Prohibition of registration of other players – Article 45 TFEU – Restriction on the freedom of movement of workers – Justification – Article 101 TFEU – Decision by an association of undertakings having as its object the prevention or restriction of competition – Employment market – Recruitment of players by clubs – Market for interclub football competitions – Participation of clubs and players in sporting competitions – Restriction of competition by object – Exemption)
OJ C, C/2025/876, 17.2.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/876/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
![]() |
Official Journal |
EN C series |
C/2025/876 |
17.2.2025 |
Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 4 October 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour d’appel de Mons – Belgium) – Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) v BZ
(Case C-650/22, (1) FIFA)
(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Internal market - Competition - Rules introduced by an international sports association and implemented by that association with the assistance of its members - Professional football - Private law entities vested with regulatory and control powers, and the power to impose sanctions - Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players - Regulations relating to the employment contracts concluded between clubs and players - Early termination of an employment contract by the player - Player required to pay compensation - Joint and several liability of the new club - Sanctions - Prohibition on issuing and registering the player’s International Transfer Certificate while a dispute relating to the early termination of the employment contract is pending - Prohibition of registration of other players - Article 45 TFEU - Restriction on the freedom of movement of workers - Justification - Article 101 TFEU - Decision by an association of undertakings having as its object the prevention or restriction of competition - Employment market - Recruitment of players by clubs - Market for interclub football competitions - Participation of clubs and players in sporting competitions - Restriction of competition by object - Exemption)
(C/2025/876)
Language of the case: French
Referring court
Cour d’appel de Mons
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA)
Defendant: BZ
Interveners: Union royale belge des sociétés de football association ASBL (URBSFA), Sporting du Pays de Charleroi SA, Fédération internationale des footballeurs professionnels, Fédération internationale des footballeurs professionnels – Division Europe, Union nationale des footballeurs professionnels (UNFP)
Operative part of the judgment
1. |
Article 45 TFEU must be interpreted as precluding rules which have been adopted by a private law association whose objectives include, inter alia, the regulation, organisation and control of football at world level, and which provide:
|
2. |
Article 101 TFEU must be interpreted as meaning that such rules constitute a decision by an association of undertakings which is prohibited by paragraph 1 of that article and which cannot be exempted under paragraph 3 of that article unless it is demonstrated, through convincing arguments and evidence, that all of the conditions required for that purpose are satisfied. |
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/876/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)