On 4 October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) handed down a crucial ruling in Case C-650/22 (FIFA v. BZ),^[2] which related to a dispute between French football player Lassana Diarra and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA, the international body governing football). This judgement will have a serious impact on the way the transfer system in professional football is currently organized, as the ECJ ruled that certain FIFA rules hinder the free movement of workers and restrict competition.

This ruling, which is the first ECJ decision dealing with non-poaching agreements and mechanisms, could lead to a major...

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