Brussels court upholds home-grown player rules — Channel NewsAsia

The French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels, Belgium, dismissed a complaint by football club Royal Antwerp and player Lior Refaelov against rules on the minimum number of home-grown players in team squads. The court found that these requirements do not violate European Union legislation on the free movement of workers and competition, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Challenge to the arbitration ruling

The court refused to overturn an arbitration ruling from July 2020, which found that the rules of the Royal Belgian Football Association were compatible with EU law. Royal Antwerp and Refaelov challenged UEFA and Belgian football association rules establishing a minimum number of club-trained players.

The club argued that the requirements restrict professional teams’ ability to sign and field footballers who do not meet local or national training criteria. In 2023, the Court of Justice of the EU stated that these rules could conflict with EU law, but a national court was to provide the final assessment of their compliance.

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Purpose of the rules and UEFA requirements

The Brussels court concluded that the rules pursue a legitimate objective: to promote the development of young footballers and reduce clubs’ dependence on financial resources. The court found that the requirements restrict competition to some extent, but do not go beyond what is necessary.

Since the 2008–2009 season, UEFA regulations have required at least eight home-grown players in a 25-player squad. In 2011, the Belgian football association introduced similar rules: clubs must have eight players trained by Belgian teams, and at least six such footballers must be included in the match squad.

The court also noted that the evidence did not confirm a disproportionate impact of the rules on foreign footballers seeking to play in Belgium. A player’s nationality is not decisive: a foreigner trained in Belgium may also be considered a home-grown player.