Home-grown players: "The rules of UEFA and the RBFA could be contrary to EU law" (CJEU)

"The rules of UEFA and the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA, since renamed RBFA) on 'home-grown players' could be contrary to EU law," announced the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which will deliver its judgment on 21/12/2023 after receiving a reference for a preliminary ruling from the Court of First Instance in Brussels (BEL) in proceedings brought in Belgium by Royal Antwerp FC (Jupiler Pro League) and one of its players.

"UEFA requires football clubs to have a minimum number of 'home-grown players' in their teams. The Belgian Football Association has adopted similar rules. In both cases, those rules define 'home-grown players' as players who are trained at national level, although UEFA's rules also refer to players trained within a given club. In its judgment, the Court confirms, first, that UEFA's rules and those of the URBSFA come under EU law, since they concern the exercise of an economic and professional activity," said the Court, which questioned the restrictions that such rules issued by the football authorities were likely to give rise to in the…