On December 15, 1995, 30 years ago, the Bosman ruling changed the European football market forever. The ruling by the European Court of Justice allowed players the right to freely move between clubs from different countries within the European Union. With the ruling, players had the right to a free transfer on another country once their contracts had expired, which had huge consequences in the salary of footballers (much greater room for negotiation, as the clubs were no longer "owners" of the players even with their contracts expired), and the economical growth of the European football market as a whole, as teams became more international and the quotas for foreign players were reduced.
Some critics are more divided into whether this was benefitial for smaller clubs, as this usually meant that when a player stood out, they would sell the player to a bigger club, and thus sporting inequealities grew, as the power concentrated on the few large clubs from each country, the only ones able to attract the best players. However, others argue that this allows smaller clubs to increase their income and direct it to further develop local talent.
What happened with Jean-Marc Bosman, the man that defied UEFA and won, but lost everything else
The ruling, however, had a catastrophic effect on the man that started it all, Jean-Marc Bosman, a player from the Belgian club RFC Liège that tried to join French club Dunkerque in 1990, once his contract had expired, but was not allowed by Liége, who still had the rights for the club and imposed a high price for the player that Dunkerque did not match. After the failed move, Bosman's salary was cut by 75%, and the player sued the club and UEFA.
Five years later, the European Court of Justice gave him the right, but it was too late, as he retired from football that same year of 1995, having played in lower divisions clubs in his last five years of career. His compensation pays were used to cover legal fees and was left in bankruptcy; he divorced during the trial and struggled with alcoholism and depression, and lived on a minimum welfare by FIFPro, the footballer's union.
What do you think of the Bosman ruling? Do yoy think it made European football better?