Tag: sports law

Private Equity and Common Ownership in Professional Rugby: Applying the Delivery Hero Standard

By Dr Beverley Williamson From time to time, the Thicket blog invites guest bloggers to write about a topic that is close to their heart. Geradin Partners is pleased to give the floor to friend of the blog Dr Bev Williamson who is an expert in the application of competition law in the sports industry. … Continue reading Private Equity and Common Ownership in Professional Rugby: Applying the Delivery Hero Standard →

FIFA vs Agents: 1-0 at halftime – AG Emiliou Defends FIFA’s Football Agent Regulations

Introduction In two significant cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Advocate General Emiliou (the AG) delivered his eagerly awaited opinions in RCC Sports v FIFA (C-209/23) and ROGON v German Football Association (C-428/23) on 15 May 2025. The same day, the AG also published his opinion in the case Tondela … Continue reading FIFA vs Agents: 1-0 at halftime – AG Emiliou Defends FIFA’s Football Agent Regulations →

The CJEU rules in the Diarra case – FIFA’s transfer rules restrict free movement and competition

From a competition law perspective, sport is, in some ways, unlike other industries. It may be driven by ideals other than profit, such as sporting merit and fair play. It also only functions through collaboration: associations, leagues and clubs need to agree on fixture dates and kick-off times, amongst other things. But sport also involves … Continue reading The CJEU rules in the Diarra case – FIFA’s transfer rules restrict free movement and competition →

Competition law in sports: it’s time to talk about merger control

When the US hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994, it was said to have spent $500 million on the tournament. Fast forward to 2022, Qatar reportedly spent a whopping $220 billion. Sport is now “big business” . . . and being big business means competition law scrutiny. There are three main fields of competition … Continue reading Competition law in sports: it’s time to talk about merger control →

AG Opinion in FIFA v BZ – Further competition trouble for football rules

Mr Diarra winning the FA Cup with Portsmouth Most professional football transfers happen when a player is free to leave because their contract expires, or when current club, player, and new club come to a mutual transfer agreement. But the world is not perfect. Situations arise where a player does not live up to expectations … Continue reading AG Opinion in FIFA v BZ – Further competition trouble for football rules →

Royal Antwerp – Breaking new ground in antitrust in labour markets

To ensure a steady supply of football talent, professional football clubs must do their bit to invest in grassroots football. To incentivise this investment, UEFA and several national football associations introduced “home-grown player rules”, which dictate that a minimum number of players on the match sheet must be home-grown. However, a player, supported by Royal … Continue reading Royal Antwerp – Breaking new ground in antitrust in labour markets →

Super League – From “legislative bomb” to judicial bombshell

Competition law in sports is full of interesting paradoxes. When I was at the Competition and Markets Authority, the news around the creation of the Super League broke, and many stakeholders contacted us because, they said, surely this is a cartel between the participating teams. Of course there was a question then about whether competition … Continue reading Super League – From “legislative bomb” to judicial bombshell →