FIFA to open dialogue on transfer rules after Lassana Diarra ruling

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) – FIFA will initiate a dialogue on a specific aspect of football’s transfer rules following the Lassana Diarra ruling, the world governing body of football confirmed on Monday.

"FIFA sees the Diarra decision as an opportunity to keep modernizing its regulatory framework, which has been one of the declared objectives of the FIFA President since 2016," FIFA Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Emilio Garcia Silvero said in a statement.

Silvero said the world football governing body would initiate a global dialogue with key stakeholders.

"Together with them, FIFA will determine what conclusions must be drawn from the Diarra decision, and which changes are most appropriate and suitable to make to article 17 of the RSTP, which focuses on breaking a deal without just cause."

Diarra, a retired player, claimed that the rules restricted his freedom of movement after his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow expired in 2014, breaching competition law.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) agreed that FIFA's refusal to provide Diarra with an international transfer certificate (ITC) for a proposed move to Belgium's Charleroi in 2015 demonstrated that the rules in place can hinder the free movement of professional footballers who wish to further their careers by moving to a new football side.

Then, the global union for professional football players FIFPRO criticised FIFA's transfer rules and backed Diarra throughout the legal battle.

"The ECJ has just handed down a major ruling on the regulation of the labor market in football....which will change the landscape of professional football," FIFPRO said.

Diarra formerly played for Chelsea, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Real Madrid, Charleroi Lokomotiv Moscow, and most recently Paris Saint-Germain before retiring in 2019.