I respectfully point out that the Bosman case was argued in Luxembourg not in Strasbourg. It might also be pointed out that the ending of the regime where the hiring of a promising young player from a small club by a large club entailed the payment of a training indemnity to the former club meant that a valuable source of income for such small clubs was discontinued.

So in actual practice the judgment contributed to making rich clubs richer. And it should also be noted that the limit on foreign players applied only in a few first division leagues so it was a rather hypothetical matter for Mr Bosman. Attempts to reconcile freedom of movement with the encouragement of grassroots recruitment of young players continue today.

I still have the copy of L’Equipe in which a joke I made about my french accent (on behalf of UEFA) raised a judicial tolerant smile 25 years ago.

Ian Forrester KC LLD
Judge of the General Court of the European Union 2015 - 2020
Luxembourg