On 19 January 2017, a Belgian Court condemned FIFA and the Belgian Federation for having interpreted and applied the provisions of Article 17 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players in a way that prevented Lassana Diarra from finding a new club after the termination of his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow for nearly a year. This conduct, which the Court alleged to be at fault, violated the European principle of free movement for workers. Philippe Piat, President of FIFPro, the international union of football players, did not remain indifferent to such a decision.
As President of FIFPro, what is your view of the decision rendered by the Belgian Court on 19 January 2017?
To me, four points are of major importance in this judgment.
First of all, I note the absence of the exclusive jurisdiction of the Swiss courts in this type of case. The Commercial Court of Charleroi offers the applicant an option of jurisdiction that allows him to bring proceedings before a court other than a Swiss...
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