Uefa president, Michel Platini, says competitive football is under threat in Europe unless sports are freed from the obligation of abiding by EU rules. Platini is referring to the EU rule on the free movement of labour in order to counter the recruiting power of the richest clubs.
The European and world football governing bodies, Uefa and Fifa, say that the leading clubs are so moneyed that the teams not so well-off will have to strive to compete on the pitch without some restrictions on the movement of players.
The European Commission is charting a white paper on sport. Member states, especially sports ministers, MEPs, and national sporting bodies are are trying to solicit Brussels to recognize the 2000 Nice declaration, which recognized the special status of sport in society.
Mr. Platini said:
I hope they will listen to the world of sport. I am very afraid of the bad decisions they will take for the future of sport. It’s an important moment, and I hope they will understand what people want for the future of sport.
The Commission is not in favor of exempting sports clubs from competition rules and says that an overhaul of the current regime would call for the unanimous support of 27 EU governments.
Sports bodies exercise autonomy in setting the rules of their games, yet they are bound to follow competition rules and all other EU legislation when it concerns their commercial activities.
The spokesman for Neelie Kroes, EU competition commissioner said:
We recognize that sport is special, both culturally and legally. Sporting rules fall outside the competition rules, as they should. Where the competition rules do get involved is in the commercial side of sport.
Mr Platini, one of the greatest players of France and the organizer of France’s World Cup in 1998, was elected to one of the biggest sports governing jobs earlier this year. He says he is ready to appeal over the heads of unelected bureaucrats - who he says have no idea about the importance of sport to society - to heads of government who are more sympathetic because of the popularity of football.
Image Credit: Goal
Source: Financial Times
