UEFA rules on home-grown football players could be contrary to EU law, EU court says

BRUSSELS: The rules of UEFA and the Belgian Football Association on home-grown players could be contrary to EU law, but it is up to a national court to decide whether that is the case, the EU Court of Justice said on Thursday (Dec 21).

A football player and Belgian club Royal Antwerp challenged European governing body UEFA's rules and those of the Belgian Football Association that require a minimum number of "home-grown players" to be included in the teams.

Royal Antwerp FC had argued that the rules hamper a professional club from recruiting and fielding players who do not meet the requirement of local or national roots, violating both EU competition and free movement of workers rules.

The court said the "home-grown player" rules might indeed give rise to "indirect discrimination", based on nationality against players coming from other member states.

But it said it was still possible for UEFA and national associations to demonstrate that "those rules nevertheless encourage recruitment and training, and that they are proportionate to that objective", the court added.

It said it was now up to the Belgian court handling the case to decide.