Although players are the main actors in football they are on the lowest level of the sports pyramid. Since the Bosman case we know for sure that professional footballers are workers just like any other workers in the European Union (EU).

This means that they are also entitled to the protections that Labour law provides even though there are some exceptions to that principle. In the 2001 informal agreement with the European Commission several specificities were included because of the special nature of sport. These are inter alia, the protected period, transfer windows, training compensation, solidarity contributions and the prohibition to negotiate a new contract for a player unless he is in the last six months of his contract.

In any way the Bosman ruling marked the end of full sports autonomy. The football industry became part of real society.

The image of football players for the general public is that they are big earners who do not need...

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