“The day the world changed, huh?” Honorary Guardianista Nathan Barley quipped as he strutted through east London, showcasing his distinctive Geek Pie haircut. The world didn’t transform, it merely became more Nathan Barley-esque. Yet, occasionally, a date stands out as historically significant, like 15 December 1995 when Jean-Marc Bosman triumphed in his legal battle against Uefa, forever altering the football transfer market. It remains uncertain whether 4 October 2024 marks a world-changing day or merely the moment Preston striker Milutin Osmajic received an eight-match ban for mistaking a Blackburn player for a pastry. We’re referring, as you undoubtedly know, to former Chelsea and Arsenal water carrier Lassana Diarra’s case against Fifa.
On Friday morning, the Court of Justice for the European Union (CJEU) ruled that certain aspects of the transfer system are unfit for purpose. “Some Fifa rules on international transfers of professional footballers contravene EU law,” the court declared. “These rules hinder the free movement of professional footballers… They impose significant legal risks, unpredictable and potentially enormous financial risks, as well as substantial sporting risks,” and so on. The complete backstory of Diarra’s case is available via this link, which we are absolutely not using to mask our lack of understanding regarding some of the finer details. In brief, Diarra was dismissed by Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014 and was subsequently denied the chance to join Charleroi when Fifa… nope, still unclear. Here’s the link again. And again.
The specifics of Diarra’s case are less pertinent than the potential ramifications. Many who know marginally more than Football Daily, but excel at the refined art of chin-stroking, speculate that this could be Bosman 2.0. The worst-case scenario is that players will be free to change jobs like any other employee, which wouldn’t be entirely negative: envision the comical cartoon clouds when the first adventurous, restless player attempts to hand in a month’s notice to Antonio Conte. It will take months, possibly years, for everything to settle, and even then, Football Daily won’t grasp all the nuances. For now, the only safe assumption is that the wealthy will only grow wealthier. Plus ça effing change.
“Don’t judge us in this moment. I judge us at the end of the season. We are in the process. Just wait. We have to develop this team. We will work and continue. We will fight” – yes, Erik ten Hag is steadfastly refusing to alter his tune, maintaining faith that Harry Maguire’s last-gasp equaliser in a 3-3 draw for 10-man Manchester United against Porto could be his very own Mark Robins moment.
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