On 4 October 2024 the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) decided that article 9.1 and parts of article 17 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players are contrary to (subject to any justification) articles 45 and (subject to any permitted exemption) 101(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. This article explains the CJEU’s decision and considers the impact the decision could have.

At the end of Everton FC’s match against Manchester United FC on 9 April 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo was videoed slapping a mobile phone out of a 14-year-old’s hand as he walked down the players’ tunnel after the match had finished. Ronaldo was charged by The FA for a breach of rule E3.1 of The FA Rules, which he admitted. This article explains the Regulatory Commission’s approach to determining the appropriate sanction to impose on Ronaldo.

This article explains when compensation is payable in respect of academy players moving from one club to another, the role of the Professional Football Compensation Committee in respect of the same, and considers the record amount of compensation awarded recently for Harvey Elliott’s move from Fulham FC to Liverpool FC.

The FA has released its Governing Body Endorsement (“GBE”) criteria to be applied to all foreign players and coaches sought to be employed by football clubs in England once the Brexit implementation period ends on 31 December 2020. This article provides an explanation of the GBE criteria that applies when clubs are signing men’s players.

The Brexit implementation period ends on 31 December 2020, bringing an end to freedom of movement. Football clubs seeking to sign EEA nationals as players from 1 January 2021 will be required to comply with the Home Office's Points-Based System and The FA's Governing Body Endorsement criteria, which will have a negative impact on the number of European players entering the English game.