UNFP is taking a part in the legal revolt against FIFA’s transfer system, which could be the most massive court case of football history.
The National Union of Professionals of Football in France (UNFP) made the announcement on Thursday that it would be a co-defendant group action with the Dutch players’ groups leader under the name “Justice for Players” (JfP) — a lawsuit that might involve footballers numbering up to 100,000 in professional leagues all over Europe.
The conflict is based on a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union involving ex-France international Lassana Diarra, who was fined €10 million by FIFA after he left Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014. The court ruled that some parts of FIFA’s transfer regulations are incompatible with EU rules on labor and free movement, as a result of which this decision may have far-reaching legal consequences.
David Terrier, president of the UNFP, said that taking part in the action was an obligation to protect the players’ rights and to bring about reform. “Our end-result is not only fair remuneration but also the establishment of a system that is sustainable,” he said.
The chair of JfP Lucia Melcherts considered the support of France as “a robust confirmation” and called upon all the players from the EU or UK since 2002 to register their participation by going to the site justiceforplayers.com.
The case might be a lever to change football’s transfer system and the battle of billions that goes along with it.
