The top court in Europe has ruled that some elements of soccer\'s transfer market are illegal, a ruling that will force changes to how players switch teams.
The ruling came in a case brought by a French player who was subject to millions of dollars in fines after walking out of his agreement with a Russian team in a pay dispute and trying to sign with a club in Belgium.
The penalties levied against the player, Lassana Diarra, and any team that wanted to sign him, “are contrary to E.U. law,” the European Court of Justice said in a statement on Friday.
FIFA acknowledged the decision but said it would lead to only minor adjustments to its rules. FIFA acknowledged the decision but said it would lead to only minor adjustments to its rules