Please allow me to explain.
Without Bosman, modern football might not have concepts such as free transfers or players being able to leave a club without a fee once their contracts expire.
Jean-Marc Bosman was a former R.F.C. Liège player. When his contract with the club expired, another club expressed interest in signing him. However, R.F.C. Liège refused to release him unless the French club paid a transfer fee, which was the rule at the time.
The interested club declined to pay the fee. In response, Liège sidelined Bosman and reduced his salary by 75%, as he was no longer part of their playing plans.
Feeling unfairly treated, Bosman took R.F.C. Liège, the Belgian Football Association, and UEFA to court, arguing that the rule violated players’ rights.
On 15 December 1995, a European court ruled in his favour. The judgment stated that:
- Players are free to move to another club once their contract expires
- Clubs within the European Union can sign an unlimited number of EU players (previously restricted)
This landmark decision became known as the Bosman Ruling.
While footballers around the world continue to benefit from this ruling, Bosman himself paid a heavy price. He spent most of his money pursuing the legal case, sold his home, and his marriage eventually collapsed due to financial hardship.
He later suffered from depression, and his life declined further, including legal issues and struggles with alcohol.
Modern football enjoys freedoms that exist because one man challenged the system, even though it ultimately cost him everything.
A true, and tragic, pioneer.
