Blowing The Whistle On CAS: The CJEU's RFC Seraing v. FIFA Decision

On 1 August 2025, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU") issued a new decision in Case C-600/23, Royal Football Club Seraing SA v. FIFA, UEFA and URBSFA, in which it addressed a fundamental question: how far should EU courts go in reviewing arbitral awards handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ("CAS"), particularly when such awards involve matters of EU public policy?

The decision strikes at the heart of the long-standing tension between the autonomy of sports governing bodies and the primacy of EU law. While CAS has long been the mandatory forum for disputes within football and other sports, its awards are seated in Switzerland, outside the EU's judicial framework. The CJEU's ruling makes clear that EU courts cannot simply defer to CAS awards or Swiss judicial review where EU rights and freedoms are at stake, reaffirming the importance of effective judicial protection within the Union.