Game-changing EU Court of Justice judgment rocks the football world and reaffirms the principle of EU law’s effectiveness
On 1 August 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered a landmark ruling in Case C‑600/23 (RFC Seraing v. FIFA), confirming that clubs, athletes, and other sports stakeholders in the EU must have access to effective judicial review of arbitral awards issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Court held that national courts must be able to examine such awards for compliance with EU law, even when confirmed by non-EU courts, and that arbitration cannot override the fundamental rights guaranteed by EU law.
This judgment stems from a dispute involving the Belgian club RFC Seraing, sanctioned by FIFA for third‑party ownership agreements. After the CAS, Swiss courts and Belgian courts upheld the sanctions, the Belgian Court of Cassation referred the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The Court’s decision underscores that arbitration in sport — often imposed by governing bodies like FIFA — must operate in line with EU public policy, ensuring access to national courts to request remedies such as interim measures, damages, and the cessation of unlawful practices.
The case now returns to Belgium, where the Court of Cassation should remit it to the Court of Appeal, which will then reassess the compliance of the CAS award with EU law.
Find the full text of the judgment on CURIA.
For more information, please contact:
Bruno Lebrun – Partner – b.lebrun@jansonbe
Candice Lecharlier – Associate – c.lecharlier@janson.be