ZURICH — In the wake of the significant ruling regarding Lassana Diarra, the global soccer players’ union expressed its disagreement with FIFA’s recent temporary changes to transfer regulations. Diarra, a former international player for France, brought a challenge against FIFA’s practices stemming from a conflict with a club that dates back to 2014. The European Court of Justice determined in October that some of FIFA’s rules were inconsistent with European Union law, as they impeded the freedom of movement for players and were deemed anti-competitive.
In response, FIFA initiated a “global dialogue” and released interim modifications on Monday, which are set to take effect for the January transfer period. According to FIFA, these adjustments represent a “balanced compromise.” However, FIFPRO, the worldwide players’ union, opposed these changes, asserting that FIFA has not achieved the necessary consensus with the stakeholders involved.
FIFPRO issued a statement indicating that following the successful challenge led by Diarra against Article 17 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, it had communicated to FIFA the specific conditions under which it could engage in negotiations to amend the regulations to align with the ruling. The union highlighted that, thus far, an agreement has been elusive. They criticized the temporary measures suggested by FIFA for lacking a valid collective bargaining approach and claimed that these changes do not offer legal clarity to professional footballers, nor do they adequately reflect the European Court of Justice’s judgement.
FIFA maintained that a “clear understanding” exists among all parties concerning the fact that the interim measures would not influence ongoing talks about permanent modifications to the rules. They argued that these temporary adjustments are essential to provide stability and certainty for the imminent transfer window. FIFA expressed its eagerness to continue working closely with all stakeholders involved in the global dialogue that was initiated in October, aiming to establish a fair, transparent, and uniform regulatory framework for professional football across the globe.
FIFA’s legal director, Emilio Garcia Silvero, shared on social media that the organization’s next objective is to develop a “permanent framework” that aligns fully with the European Court of Justice’s perspectives and garners the backing of all involved parties, with a target completion date before July 2025. Diarra had advanced his case to the European Court after seeking damages from FIFA in Belgian courts, using FIFA’s rules as a basis for a disrupted transfer to Belgian club Charleroi following the termination of his contract with Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014.
