Among the competition rules enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),[1] only the prohibition of State aid contained in Article 107 will be discussed here regarding its application to the management of professional football clubs and the construction or renovation of their stadiums.
The framework for national public aid to professional football clubs
1. Under European Law, there is no doubt that a football club that recruits professional players and habitually participates in official matches organized by the professional leagues, UEFA or FIFA must be regarded as an undertaking.[2] Consequently, all the provisions of the Treaty concerning economic entities apply to it, particularly those of Article 107 TFEU prohibiting, unless exempted, public aid likely to affect trade between Member States and distort competition.
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