Preamble

Diarra’s name is not only that of a football player, as his saga has reached the peak of a Netflix argument and might be as well-known as the likes of Bosman. Nevertheless, do not move so fast and use your brake: this is not a Bosman lookalike. The Belgian player and his lawyers did not ignore some FIFA regulations; rather, they used EU Law to establish the rights of footballers (sportsmen or athletes).

Bosman gave rights that had been hidden and blocked some of the usual “contrary to law” practices of the big sports bodies, FIFA and UEFA, in his case. Here, Diarra came with the same approach (a poor player crushed by the immense power of FIFA and CAS), but that line of thought was not, in my humble opinion, similar at all to Bosman.

A Short...

Why not join us?

Football Legal is an independent media publishing football law contents on a daily basis dedicated to all football law practitioners (lawyers, clubs, federations, intermediaries, football stakeholders, etc.).

Register today and stay tuned to the latest legal news.

Get started