Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in Andy Webster case

CantGetNoSleep

Nick Harris (Independent) writes that “The football transfers and contracts market is about to undergo a seismic shift on a par with the Bosman ruling after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland yesterday made a landmark ruling on Andy Webster’s unilateral breach of contract from Heart of Midlothian in 2006. The CAS decision, which also took a sideswipe at the handling of Webster’s case by football’s world governing body, Fifa, effectively enshrines a formula that allows a player to breach his contract after a “protected period” and pay his club only the value of his remaining wages in compensation. It means Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the hottest properties in world football, could theoretically walk away from Old Trafford in 2010, then aged 25 and arguably at his peak, for £12m. Cesc Fabregas could leave Arsenal in 2010, then aged 23, for a similar sum.”

Graham Spiers in the Times also addresses the “Andy Webster ruling.” “Under the rule, any footballer aged between 23 and 28 is entitled to walk away from a club, so long as he has served three years of a four or five-year contract. But, more controversially, any player aged 28 or over can also now terminate his contract so long as he has served two years of its duration. Article 17, in effect, goes some way to abolishing huge transfer fees. For example, if a 29-year-old player wishes to leave one club for another – such as was the case with Thierry Henry last season – the only compensation due would be the value of his wages left on his contract.”

Matt Scott in the Guardian describes it as “the most significant football freedom-of-contract case in more than a decade.”



This means that a player between 23 and 28 can now leave a club after 3 years of his contract, and a player over 28 can leave after 2 years of his contracr, surprised how little this has been reported as it confirms what alway threatened to be something very significant

PHB

Well this was brought in because of the gross restrictions in freedom of movement that happens. The transfer bubble really would have burst much more significantly by now if Chelsea weren't there propping up the prices. This can only further the drop.

Chardee MacDennis

wow this is quite a ruling. when will it come into effect? i presume FIFA are appealling the decision?

eirebhoy

Call_me_al wrote: »

wow this is quite a ruling. when will it come into effect? i presume FIFA are appealling the decision?

It's been in effect years. Don't you play Football Manager? Protected/unprotected contracts have been in that ages. It's a FIFA rule. Celtic have been giving contracts of 3 years with 1 year option for years now because of this. Webster seems to the first player to use it but it was in effect long before that. Some player in Spain bought himself out of his contract a few years ago if I remember.