BRUSSELS: The European Union’s top court ruled on Friday that the decisions of world soccer’s governing body FIFA can be challenged outside Switzerland, opening up a system that currently binds athletes, officials and clubs to accept verdicts there.
A statement from the European Court of Justice said that tribunals in the 27 EU member states “must be able to carry out an in-depth review of those awards for consistency with the fundamental rules of EU law.”
The ECJ ruling in Luxembourg means that EU national courts should be able to review verdicts from the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Switzerland is not a member of the European Union.
“The awards made by the CAS must be amenable to effective judicial review,” the statement said. It said that “national courts or tribunals must be empowered to carry out ... an in-depth judicial review” to ensure that CAS rulings “are consistent with EU public policy.”
There was no immediate comment from FIFA or CAS.
The decision could end a decade-long legal fight by Belgian soccer club RFC Seraing and Maltese investment fund Doyen Sports.
They opposed FIFA rules prohibiting third-party ownership of a player’s registration and transfer rights, and in 2015 asked a commercial court in Brussels to review if those rules breached EU law.
CAS was created in 1984 to give sports a unified and binding legal forum for settling disputes and appeals based in the International Olympic Committee’s home city Lausanne in Switzerland.
The ruling marks a new legal blow to the authority of sports bodies in Switzerland.
The same European court in Luxembourg has handed down two other major rulings in the last two years under EU competition law — in the Super League case and Lassana Diarra transfer dispute — that challenged the authority of soccer bodies FIFA and UEFA.
Top EU court rules that soccer governing body FIFA’s decisions can be challenged outside Switzerland
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Top EU court rules that soccer governing body FIFA’s decisions can be challenged outside Switzerland
- The ECJ ruling means that EU national courts should be able to review verdicts from the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign welcomes Palestinian student
- Ghada Ashour, 24, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative
DUBAI: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship program, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport.
Ashour grew up in Gaza where she had been studying remotely until gaining a place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University, Ireland.
Becoming the fifth scholar to join the program, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of sportspeople.
Launched in 2023, the program offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the chance to engage in research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport.
Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake research dedicated to positive social change.
Ashour’s thesis, which will be printed in English and Arabic, will focus specifically on the relationship between athlete activism and online abuse.
Athletes increasingly speak out on war, conflict, and social and environmental issues. Although the attention such athletes bring can be positive, research indicates it can lead to significant abuse.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, founder of the UAOA campaign, said: “The FIA is committed to extending opportunities across the world while inspiring and developing the next generation.
“Education lies at the core of this mission, and I am pleased to welcome Ghada as the latest student in the UAOA Scholarship Programme.
“Her experience and research will help broaden the international perspective on this critical issue. This pioneering research program will help ensure we safeguard the future of sport for generations to come.”
Ashour said she was “truly grateful” to the FIA leader: “It is a dream come true to study the subject I am passionate about at a leading institution in this field.
“I am so excited to advance the field of research in online abuse in sport and to contribute to this prevalent topic which is impacting so many people’s lives on a daily basis.”
The UAOA’s 2025 Barometer Report found that 75 percent of sports federations report continued threats against competitors and their families, and that 90 percent believe abuse could force athletes to leave their sport.
Dublin City University is a leading academic institution in the study of online abuse.
Each scholar is fully funded and mentored by leading experts in the field. They are able to attend UAOA events, where they can share their findings with a global audience of policymakers, sports federations, and digital platforms.
The inaugural cohort of four UAOA scholars included participants from Italy, South Africa, the UK, and Mexico.
