The case was brought by Belgian side Charleroi, and supported by the G14 group of Europe’s leading clubs.
It called for compensation for injuries sustained by one of their players while on international duty – an injury which ruled him out playing for his club, which paid his wages, for eight months.
The decision to refer the case to the European Court of Justice was requested by the G14 and Charleroi as part of their legal submissions, where they claim the FIFA statutes governing player release and insurance are an abuse of dominant position under articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty of Rome.
Thomas Kurth, general manager of the G14, said: “FIFA’s argument was that its rules were not in any way subject to EU Law. The G14 asked for a ruling at the European Court of Justice on these rules, which we’ve always said are unfair to every club, not just G14 ones.
“Whilst the ECJ investigate the current rules, both parties need to sit down and find a solution for the future which works for clubs and national teams. The G14 is ready and willing to do that if the governing bodies wish.”
