Barcelona FIFPro Football Neymar Paris Saint-Germain PSG Soccer

FIFPro demands investigation into ‘anti-competitive’ transfer rules as Neymar completes €222 million move to PSG

August 4, 2017

International players’ association FIFPro has demanded an investigation into “anti-competitive, unjustified and illegal” Fifa transfer rules following Neymar’s world record move from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain.

The 25-year-old has agreed a five-year-deal at Parc des Princes after his legal representatives paid Barcelona €222m (£198m) to secure an early release from his contract with the Catalan club.

Barcelona have confirmed they have forwarded the details of the transaction to Uefa in order to discover whether there are any “disciplinary responsibilities” concerning Financial Fair Play adherence.

PSG have forced their way into Europe’s elite courtesy of lavish spending in the transfer market, which has prompted FIFPro General-Secretary, Theo van Seggelen to voice concern over the power held by a select number of teams.

Van Seggelen said: “FIFPro is calling on the European Commission to investigate the flow of money via transfer fees within the EU territory to understand their impact on competitive balance in the region.

“The world record transfer of Brazilian Neymar from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain is the latest example of how football is ever more the domain of a select group of rich, mostly European-based clubs.

“Given much of football’s financial activity occurs within Europe, where significant transfer fees are exchanged between clubs, FIFPro is asking the European Commission to launch a thorough investigation of the transfer rules it approved in 2001 and which are now in need of urgent review.

“Stimulating reform of the current transfer system rules is a priority for FIFPro in order to protect the rights of players as workers and safeguard the best interests of the game.


“Football’s enormous wealth is trapped, research shows, within a few leagues and clubs when it could be redistributed more efficiently and fairly to help protect competitive balance, which is one of the fundamental objectives of the transfer system.

“FIFPro claims an inflated and distorted market, with escalating transfer fees at the heart of it, has helped to destroy competitive balance. The transfer rules governed by FIFA are anti-competitive, unjustified and illegal.

“FIFPro’s legal complaint to the competition unit of the European Commission, lodged in late 2015, is designed to help rebalance football and bring an end to the transfer market madness, for the good of the game, all players, clubs and fans.”

Barcelona FIFPro Football Neymar Paris Saint-Germain PSG Soccer