Europees Hof: Bosman-arrest geldt ook voor Russische voetbalspelers (en)

The EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg has ruled that a Russian professional footballer playing in the EU should be treated in the same way as EU players.

The landmark decision, taken on Tuesday (12 April) could lead to more Russians playing in the European football leagues, as well as freeing up access for more players from other coutries with EU partnership agreements.

Russian footballer Igor Simutenkov originally took the case the Spanish Courts, saying the Spanish Football Association was guilty of discrimination by refusing to grant him a professional licence.

Some European soccer authorities have limited the number of players from non-EU countries to foster local talent.

But the EU court ruled that Mr Simutenkov should enjoy the same rights as players from the EU and EEA countries due to the partnership agreement between the EU and the Russian Federation.

The EU's partnership agreement with Russia includes a prohibition of discrimination against Russian nationals on the ground of their nationality.

The exact wording of similar partnership agreements with countries such as the Ukraine or Israel will determine the rights of their players.

The EU court has changed the groundrules of European sports law before.

In the so-called Bosman ruling of 1995, the court enabled the free movement of EU players among member states, while a later ruling widened the access to players from countries planning to join the EU.