FIFA will begin negotiations with the sport’s stakeholders over the transfer system after the European Union ruled that some aspects of it were illegal, football’s governing body announced on Monday.

“In the coming days, FIFA will formally invite stakeholders to comment and propose ideas in relation to Article 17 of the RSTP (“Consequences of terminating a contract without just cause”) with a view to consolidating the proposals and to identify the best path forward,” FIFA said in a statement.

The FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) state that a player who terminates a contract before its end “without valid reason” is required to pay compensation to the club, and if the player joins a new club, he will be jointly responsible. payment of compensation.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), ruling on a high-profile case linked to former French player Lassana Diarra, declared on October 4 that these provisions were illegal, and the judgment should prompt FIFA to reorganize its transfer regulations. .

“The rules in question are likely to hinder the free movement of professional footballers wishing to develop their activity by going to work in a new club,” declared the Luxembourg CJEU.

FIFA acknowledged that the rules would be changed.

“FIFA looks forward to further developing its regulatory framework, obviously taking into account the views and contributions of all relevant and affected parties,” said Emilio Garcia Silvero, FIFA’s legal and compliance director.

While Diarra’s legal team said the entire transfer system would be changed following the EU decision, FIFA argued that only part of the regulations would be affected.

“The international transfer system is made up of many elements: for example, the rules regarding registration periods; transfer and registration of players; the application of sporting sanctions in certain cases; training allowances and solidarity mechanisms to reward training clubs; the international transfer of minors; the dispute resolution system to protect players and clubs in the event of contract breach anywhere in the world; the protection of players, coaches, national teams and much more,” Garcia Silvero explained on Monday.

“All these vital elements are fundamentally unaffected by the Diarra ruling.”