Business of Player Advisors
BGH submits DFB rules for players’ agents to the ECJ
The BGH forwarded the question of the extent to which the DFB may set up regulations for the business of players’ agents to the ECJ. photo
© Uli Deck/dpa
The dispute between the German Football Association (DFB) and a leading players’ agent is going to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
The dispute between the German Football Association (DFB) and a leading players’ agent is going to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) wants to let it decide to what extent the European ban on cartels applies to the DFB regulations on player brokerage. According to the highest German court, the BGH proceedings will be suspended until the ECJ makes a decision.
The procedure in Karlsruhe is about the extent to which the DFB can interfere in the lucrative business of player consultants. The football associations FIFA and DFB want to ensure more transparency and control with their own sets of rules on the multimillion-dollar brokerage market. A preliminary ruling is therefore pending before the European Court of Justice against the world football association FIFA.
In their proceedings, the BGH judges rule on the regulations of the DFB that came into force in 2015. Among other things, it stipulates that players and clubs may only work with agents registered with the DFB who have also submitted to the association’s statutes. Players’ agent Roger Wittmann believes that this is a violation of the ban on cartels. His lawsuit is supported by the German Football Players’ Association (DFVV).