Top EU court rules that soccer governing body FIFA’s decisions can be challenged outside Switzerland
BRUSSELS: The European Union’s top court ruled on Friday that the decisions of world soccer’s governing body FIFA can be challenged outside Switzerland, opening up a system that currently binds athletes, officials and clubs to accept verdicts there. A statement from the European Court of Justice said that tribunals in the 27 EU member states “must be able to carry out an in-depth review of those awards for consistency with the fundamental rules of EU law.” The ECJ ruling in Luxembourg means that EU national courts should be able to review verdicts from the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. “The awards made by the CAS must be amenable to effective judicial review,” the statement said.
