Re: Champions league

GonzaloFlores

Robert Hopkins

GonzaloFlores

bluearmyfaction

Bosman ruling killed Scottish clubs in continental football. Same as lots of clubs from the smaller countries. Suddenly Man Ure et al had the pick of Europe from which to choose, rather than only being able to pick 3-4 or whatever overseas players. Hey presto, it's all England/Italy/Spain/Germany/PSG. No more Steaua Bucharests or Gothenburgs or even Benficas.

As a young man, I don't remember football before the bosman ruling. How did transfers/contracts work before this rule came into place. A players contract could finish but the club could still charge a fee for them? Surely that can't be how it worked.

Thats exactly how it worked, players had little power as the contract would run on unless actually given a free transfer ending the contract. It meant you didn't have these situation of clubs selling players with only 1 year left etc was certainly different times.

So a player was under contract for life really.

Not after the Eastham case in 1963. That declared the retain & transfer system (holding onto a registration after a contract ended) illegal. That's still the case now, hence Winston Bogarde was stuck in Chelsea's reserves because he was still under contract, but was released as soon as it ended.

Most of the EU did not end the retain & transfer, which was really what Bosman was about, but the ECJ took advantage to hand everything to Real Madrid.