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ARTICLE · 09 FEBRUARY 2024

Competition Law "Leaves Its Studs In" On UEFA And FIFA

K&L Gates
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The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued two major decisions in separate cases concerning sporting organisations' ability to regulate their...

European UnionAntitrust/Competition Law
Niall Lavery
Niall Lavery
Jennifer P.M. Marsh
Jennifer P.M. Marsh
Aurelija Grubyte
Aurelija Grubyte

INTRODUCTION

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued two major decisions in separate cases concerning sporting organisations' ability to regulate their: (i) competitions; and (ii) members' activities which may embolden other members of sporting associations to challenge existing rules on how their sports are administered and this is certainly a space to watch. The intersection between sports rules and European Union (EU) competition law has provoked a major question as to whether sports associations' regulations can coexist with competition law principles without damaging the essence of competition within sport itself. The sporting organisations model offers a number of efficiencies such as common rules and standards for all participants but these rules can raise concerns regarding potential conflicts with EU law as exhibited in previous cases.1

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