The Bosman ruling in Maltese football

Abstract

The Bosman ruling in 1995 established the free transfer system in club football in the EU for those footballers who were out of a contract. However, up until 2020, professional footballers in Malta who were out of contract and desired a move from one Maltese club to another were subject to what was known as the ‘parameters fee’. The aim of this study is to analyse the process of implementing the Bosman ruling in Maltese football. The process of the removal of the parameters done in 2020 is analysed, along with the factors which contributed to the delay of its implementation in Maltese professional football. Two interviews conducted with experts in the field gave unique perspectives as to how the structure of the local association, among other factors, was hindering this process. Furthermore, the Maltese government’s lack of involvement in such a process is also considered, along with a young player’s attempt to bypass this fee which ultimately did not go as planned. However, at the time of writing, it cannot be said that the Bosman ruling is fully implemented in Maltese football, as restrictions remain on the quantity of foreign players that can be fielded in Maltese club football. Hence, the UEFA homegrown player rule is then compared with this regulation in Maltese professional football that only seven foreign players may be fielded in a match, with a further two on the bench. Arguments are made as to how the latter Maltese rule differs considerably from the UEFA rule, and it is debated as to just how legal it is within EU law and whether protection of the national team is ample justification for retaining such a rule.