“It’s not normal for players to be treated like a commodity”: Bossman's Rule was introduced 25 years ago

On December 15, 1995, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg issued a decision that became fateful for the whole world football.

He granted the claim of the Belgian midfielder Jean-Marc Bosemann against the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

This led to the immediate introduction of the "Bossman rule", according to which, after the end of the contract with the club, the player became a free agent.

In addition, as a result of the athlete's lawsuits, citizens of the EU countries ceased to be considered legionnaires in the championships of the EU countries.

Before the case thundered all over the planet, the name of Bossman was known only in narrow circles.

He began his professional career in 1983 at the "Standard" club from his native Liege, with which over the next five seasons he was able to win only bronze medals in the Belgian championship, and also once reached the final of the country's Cup.

The midfielder was also called up for the youth team and at one time took it to the field as captain.

In 1988, Bossman signed a two-year contract with the five-time Belgian champion Liege.

At the end of the agreement, the club offered him a new contract, but with significantly worse conditions - the player's fee was to be reduced by 75%.

But the footballer himself did not want to remain in the team and found a more suitable option for himself - the French "Dunkirk".

However, at that time in European football, the player could not become a free agent after the expiration of the contract, and Liège decided not to let the Belgian go.

The club's management has demanded monetary compensation from the French in the amount of approximately € 500,000, according to the International Federation of Professional Football Players' Associations (FIFPro).

Such an amount did not suit potential buyers, and the deal fell apart.

The UEFA regulations also played a role, according to which Boseman was a legionnaire outside Belgium, and no more than three players with foreign passports could enter the field in official matches.

However, the midfielder was not going to give up and began to study the legal component of the issue, hired lawyer Luc Misson and filed with the supreme body of the continent - the European Court of Justice - three organizations at once: the club "Liege", the Royal Belgian Football Association and UEFA.

In his opinion, at that time the European and world transfer system was very outdated and required radical changes, which prompted him to take such a risky step.

FIFPro took Boseman's side.

• Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bossman (right), along with his lawyers Luc Misson (left) and Jean-Louis Dupont (right), attends the European Parliament's Sports Congress in Brussels.

• Reuters

The litigation continued for five years.

In the end, the court ruled that the existing football rules violated the Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community (also known as the Treaty of Rome), which prohibited restrictions on the movement of workers after the end of the contract.

Also, the claim of the Belgian was satisfied regarding the fact that EU citizens are legionnaires in other championships.

UEFA tried to challenge this verdict, but in response, the EU threatened the organization with deprivation of official status.

The Boseman affair completely changed the face of modern football and the transfer market, which has begun to generate colossal profits for clubs.

In addition, advertising and television broadcasts now accounted for a significant share of revenue.

Thanks to this, finances have concentrated in the hands of a narrow number of the richest clubs, which are fighting for the highest European trophies.

However, according to Boseman himself, the situation was affected not so much by the rule named in his honor, but by the changes in the transfer regulations that occurred in 2001 and began to bring the clubs even more earnings.

“The court decision in my case should have created the basis for the redistribution of players in the clubs, but in the end everything works differently.

It is hardly correct to sell young footballers for € 30-40 million even before they really show what they are capable of, ”the Belgian Deutsche Welle is quoted as saying.

But not only clubs, but also footballers got the opportunity to get rich and use the income for their own benefit.

It is ironic that Boseman himself did not manage to grab a tidbit from the outcome of the case, and his fate after the sensational trial is rather sad.

Most of the compensation from the winning trial went to pay legal fees and other accumulated debts, since the midfielder's career was suspended during the proceedings.

This, in turn, led to his bankruptcy.

For some time he even had to live in the garage in his parents' house - so much deteriorated the financial situation of the once promising player.

He never succeeded in fulfilling his dream and playing at the highest level, and until the end of his career in 1996 he was forced to defend the colors of teams from the lower divisions of Belgium and France.

The case that happened in 1998 speaks volumes about the attitude towards the athlete who rebelled against European football.

The Netherlands national team players decided to help their colleague and gave him bonus payments for a friendly match with Belgium.

Compatriots, according to Boseman, not only did not follow their example at the insistence of the local federation, but also called on the Dutch not to do so.

After completing his career, Jean-Marc had to look for a new source of income.

He mowed the lawn and even had to ask the state for social assistance.

Against the background of many years of litigation, personal life did not work either: at some point his wife got tired of enduring financial hardships, and she filed for divorce.

But despite all the hardships, Boseman admitted that he would not give up the idea of ​​defending the rightness if he had the opportunity to change his life.

According to him, it doesn't matter that the new generation of players no longer knows about his case.

“I think I made a lot of people a lot happier.

Thanks to an amazing court decision in my case, tens of thousands of people got a job, and I was able to do a good job ... I am proud of the wonderful decision I made and the support of FIFPro.

It seems to me that if I had to go this way again, I would do it.

In the modern world, there was a completely abnormal situation when the players were treated like a commodity, ”said Bossman.

Telling the story of the Belgian, one cannot fail to mention the case of Igor Simutenkov, which made it possible to expand the “Bosman rule” and make life easier for Russian footballers.

In 2005, the Tenerife striker won a case against the Spanish Football Federation and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, proving that the current regulations violate the agreement between Russia and the European Union.

After the proceedings, which lasted about four years, the citizens of the Russian Federation also ceased to be considered legionnaires in the championships of the EU countries.