Geneva, October 18 / BNA / The second football case is heading to the European Court of Justice after referring the dispute of the Premier League clubs with the European Football Association (UEFA).
A judge in Belgium has asked the European Union Court in Luxembourg to examine whether rules for EU-backed local players, designed to protect young local talent, comply with the law on free movement of labor and competition in the 27-nation union.
Rules established by UEFA since 2005 – with goals including limiting wealthy clubs hoarding players from all over Europe – which were subsequently implemented in Belgium in this country were challenged as a limitation on hiring options and team selection.
The decision to refer was made on Friday by a judge at the French-speaking court of first instance in Brussels.
The case was started last year by Royal Antwerp and its then player Lior Rafailov, an Israeli international. It challenges the Belgian Football Association to set quotas for local players in the club’s first team team and match day team roster.
The Belgian club team limit of 25 senior players over the age of 21 must include eight players developed in the country. At least six local players must be from the starting lineup or substitutes for the game.
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