On 4 October 2024 the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) decided that article 9.1 and parts of article 17 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players are contrary to (subject to any justification) articles 45 and (subject to any permitted exemption) 101(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. This article explains the CJEU’s decision and considers the impact the decision could have.

On Sunday 18 April the European Super League (“ESL”) issued a press release stating that ‘Twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs today come together to announce they have agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, the Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs’. This article considers what challenges the ESL and its Founding Clubs face in seeking to create its proposed new mid-week competition, and whether the ESL could oppose those challenges.