Two weeks ago, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee punished two French clubs — Angers and Paris FC — for their roles in a so-called “bridge transfer.” This is a multi-step transaction where clubs arrange for the same player to be transferred twice, over a short time, so they can avoid some rule…

In the summer of 2019, Roma transferred two players to Spartak Moscow for €3 million each. The first player — well-regarded striker Ezequiel Ponce — was worth at least that much. But the second — reserve team goalkeeper Andrea Romagnoli — was worth far less. At the time, Roma owed…

Long-standing precedent from FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber entitles clubs to training compensation for the period they take a player on loan. But the right to compensation does not arise until the parent club transfers the player to a club in another association. …

In Barcelona, around the early part of the last decade (2010’s), a man named Enric Gallego labored through his days, helping support his family with a series of unrelated jobs. At various times, Gallego was a bricklayer, a lorry driver, a bicycle rental clerk and several other titles. …

Article 19 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players remains a tough wall to clear. Generally, the rule bars clubs from signing foreign players under age 18, except in three limited circumstances. …

In previous articles, I discussed US soccer’s unfavorable player market. The problem stems from an assortment of factors that act like weights on the American player’s value — each one making him heavier and more difficult to move. Some — like training compensation — make Americans more expensive and, therefore…

In a previous post, I discussed the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s denial of Miami FC and Kingston Stockade’s promotion and relegation claim. The Panel’s 66-page opinion is packed with information — thus, leaving a slew of trails, passages and hidden rooms for the legal mind to explore. My previous…

Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Miami FC and Kingston Stockade’s claim against FIFA, the US Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer for violation of FIFA Article 9, which requires promotion based “principally” on sporting merit. The decision was meaty — both in the amount of information…

In February 2019, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee (the “FDC”) issued two awards against the Vancouver Whitecaps that highlight the awkward relationship between Major League Soccer and its Canadian teams. Background Vancouver is one of three Canadian teams in MLS. At the same time, it is a member of the Canadian Soccer Association…