Overview

• The European Court of Justice ruled on August 1 that national courts in EU member states can challenge FIFA and Court of Arbitration for Sport decisions outside Switzerland.
• Under the judgment, tribunals must carry out comprehensive judicial reviews of CAS awards to verify consistency with fundamental EU law.
• The ruling could reopen a decade-old dispute between RFC Seraing and Doyen Sports over FIFA’s ban on third-party ownership of player rights.
• This latest decision builds on prior ECJ interventions, including the Super League and Lassana Diarra cases, that have extended EU oversight of sports governance.
• FIFA and CAS have not yet commented on the ruling, which is expected to drive changes in arbitration procedures for clubs, officials and athletes.