Football is one of the most popular sports in Europe. It is governed by national football associations and, at European level, by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). UEFA organizes competitions (Champions League, UEFA Cup and the EURO tournaments), seeks to increase access and participation to the game and promotes the principles of fair-play and anti-racism. UEFA has recently become more involved in lobbying the European institutions and opened an office in Brussels, Belgium, in 2003.
Football is increasingly becoming regarded as an industry or area of economic activity which should be subject to European law. The Bosman ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 1995 was the first step in the Europeanization of football. In 1990 Jean-Marc Bosman, a Belgian professional football player with RC Liège, claimed that the transfer rules of the Belgian Football Federation and UEFA, which prevented his transfer to the French club US Dunkerque, contravened the Treaty of Rome provision for the freedom of movement for workers (Article 48). The case was referred to the ECJ.
Prior to the Bosman case, a professional player could only transfer to another club with the agreement of both clubs in the form of a transfer fee. Even if a player was out of contract, he was not permitted to sign a new contract until the transfer fee had been paid or he had been granted a free transfer. Also, before the Bosman ruling there were quota systems in national leagues and UEFA competitions which limited the number of foreign players in each match. In UEFA club competitions, only three foreign players per team were permitted to play.
In 1995 the ECJ ruled that the existing transfer rules contravened Article 48 of the Treaty of Rome and that a player who was out of contract would no longer be prevented from signing a contract to move to a club in another member state of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area. It also ruled that the transfer can not be made more difficult by a demand for a transfer fee. Only in-contract players can have transfer fees paid for them. The ECJ decided that placing limits on the number of foreign players in competitions also contravened Article 48 of the Treaty of Rome and that this would no longer be allowed. Clubs are now able to field as many players from EU states as they wish.
Pres. of UEFA: Lennart Johansson
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