Editor's note: This report compiles all relevant news, events and materials on International and European Sports Law based on the daily coverage provided on our twitter feed @Sportslaw_asser. You are invited to complete this survey via the comments section below, feel free to add links to important cases, documents and articles we might have overlooked.

The Headlines 

The CAS award in Hakan Çalhanoglu v. Trabzonspor FC

The dispute between the Turkish football player Hakan Çalhanoğlu and the Turkish club Trabzonspor FC dates back to April 2013, when the latter lodged a claim before the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber ('FIFA DRC') alleging that, by signing a contract with the German club Karlsruher SC, Hakan Çalhanoğlu breached the terms of his employment contract (with Trabzonspor FC) without just cause. In January 2016, the FIFA DRC upheld the claims advanced by Trabzonspor FC and imposed a four-month period of ineligibility on the Turkish international. Both the player and the club decided to appeal the FIFA DRC decision before the CAS. In its press release dated 2 February 2017, the CAS reports that it has delivered its award which confirms the four-month ban imposed on Hakan Çalhanoglu by the FIFA DRC (provisionally suspended by the CAS upon the request made by Hakan Çalhanoglu) and orders the Turkish international to pay Trabzonspor FC the sum of EUR 100,000.

The CAS award concerning Russian athlete Mariya Savinova-Farnosova

On 10 February 2017, the CAS rendered its award in the ordinary arbitration procedure between the International Association of Athletics Federations ('IAAF'), the Russian Athletics Federation and Russian 800 metres runner Mariya Savinova-Farnosova. The CAS held that, during the period between 26 July 2010 and 19 August 2013, Ms. Savinova-Farnosova was engaged in using doping, and thus violated Rule 32 (2) (b) of the IAAF Competition Rules. Consequently, the CAS imposed a four-year period of ineligibility on Ms. Savinova-Farnosova, starting from 24 August 2015. In addition, all results achieved by her in the respective period were annulled and she must now return her gold medals from the London 2012 Summer Olympics and the Daegu 2011 IAAF World Championships.

The CAS rejected the urgent requests for provisional measures filed by five Russian cross country skiers 

On 21 February 2017, the CAS refused to order provisional measures requested by five Russian cross country skiers, namely Evgeniy Belov, Alexander Legkov, Alexey Petukhov, Evgenia Shapovalova and Maxim Vylegzhanin, in the appeal arbitration procedure against the International Ski Federation ('FIS'). The athletes requested the CAS to stay the execution of the decisions adopted by the FIS Doping Panel on 25 January 2017 (Evgeniy Belov and Alexander Legkov) and on 6 February 2017 (Alexey Petukhov, Evgenia Shapovalova and Maxim Vylegzhanin) respectively. It is worth recalling that the FIS Doping Panel provisionally suspended the athletes in question on account of the evidence presented in Part II of the McLaren Independent Investigation Report, which unveiled that doping samples of several Russian medallists at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics may have been manipulated.

The International Olympic Committee modified the Host City Contract 2024 

In its press release dated 28 February 2017, the International Olympic Committee ('IOC') communicated that, as part of the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, it is making specific changes to the Host City Contract 2024 with regard to human rights, anti-corruption and sustainable development. The IOC President Thomas Bach stated that ''this latest step is another reflection of the IOC's commitment to embedding the fundamental values of Olympism in all aspects of the Olympic Games.'' Although the Host City of the 2024 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be announced only in September this year, it is now clear that, be it either Los Angeles or Paris (as Budapest has recently withdrawn its bid), the it will have to abide by additional range of human rights obligations.

Sports Law Related Decisions

• CAS – Award delivered in the arbitration between Belarus Canoe Association and Belarusian Senior Men's Canoe and Kayak team members
• CAS – Award delivered in the arbitration between the Football Association of Serbia and UEFA
• CAS – CAS imposes four-year period of ineligibility on Russian athlete Mariya Savinova-Farnosova
• CAS – CAS rejects the request for provisional measures filed by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
• CAS – CAS rejects the urgent requests for provisional measures filed by five Russian athletes
• CAS – CAS upholds the FIFA decision to impose a 4-month ban on Hakan Çalhanoglu; grants EUR 100,000 to Trabzonspor FC as compensation for breach of contract

Official Documents and Press Releases

• CAS – Alexander Legkov and Evgeniy Belov file appeals at the CAS
• CAS – CAS procedure between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and the Asian Football Confederation has concluded
• CAS – Jerome Valcke files an appeal at the CAS
• CAS – Nesta Carter files an appeal at the CAS
• FIFA – CAS decision in the case involving Gordon Derrick
• FIFA – FIFA extends ban of Timor-Leste FA General Secretary
• FIFPro – Belgian ruling on minor violates human rights
• IOC – IOC strengthens its stance in favour of human rights and against corruption in new Host City Contract
• UEFA – UEFA Executive Committee endorses reforms
• WADA – Laos ratifies UNESCO Anti-Doping Convention
• WADA – WADA meets with Anti-Doping Organizations to discuss McLaren Investigation Report Part I
• WADA – WADA removes Azerbaijan and Indonesia from the World Anti-Doping Code's non-compliant list
• WADA – WADA suspends accreditation of the Bogota laboratory

In the news 

Doping

• Andy Brown Russia to miss London 2017 IAAF World Championships
• Nick Butler WADA warn against jailing doping cheats as Ethiopian faces three-year sentence
• Cycling News WADA struggling over legality of naming Operacion Puerto athletes
• Daniel Etchells Detained Kazakh biathletes all return negative doping results
• Daniel Etchells IAAF receive 16 more requests for Russians to compete as neutrals
• Bonnie D. Ford With one year until 2018 Winter Games, Russia's status murky
• Liam Morgan Savinova stripped of Olympic gold medal and given four-year doping ban by CAS
• Reuters Sample re-tests from Sochi Olympics to run to 2022: IOC
• Dan Roan WADA has 'full confidence' in McLaren Report despite 'discrepancies'
• Rebecca R. Ruiz Austrian police raid Kazakh biathletes' hotel, confiscating drugs and phones
• Rebecca R. Ruiz Clashing agendas: Anti-doping officials vs. U.S. Olympic leaders
• Rebecca R. Ruiz House panel sets hearing to scrutinize doping in international sports
• Rebecca R. Ruiz Russians implicated in doping still compete, angering other athletes
• Sputnik International IOC's negative reaction proves McLaren Report politicized – Russian Senator
• TASS Russian cross country skiers set to appeal temporary suspension with CAS

Football 

• Boxscore News Bobby Barnes leads new FIFPro talks with UEFA
• CIES Football Observatory Big-5 league clubs break transfer expenditure record
• Gerald Imray and Enock Muchinjo Beautiful game? Not for exploited soccer players in Africa
• Tariq Panja FIFA's internal investigation said to uncover more crimes
• Tariq Panja Sponsors shy away from FIFA as Russia World Cup draws near
• Tim Pryor Jersey FA get date before Court of Arbitration for sport in UEFA dispute
• Rory Smith U.S. travel restrictions would damage 2026 World Cup bid, UEFA President says
• Swissinfo.ch FIFA under scrutiny from anti-corruption body
• TASS Russia increases spending on 2018 FIFA World Cup preparations
• The Guardian Qatar spending $ 500 million a week on World Cup projects
• The Times of India FIFA seeks life ban against ex-Guatemala, Costa Rica chiefs
• The Times of India Portugal suspends bets over match-fixing fears
• Andrew Warshaw Cypriot FA rejects Karmiotissa and AEZ denials and issues EUR 50,000 match-fixing fines                                                     

Other

• Belarusian Telegraph Agency Belarus' National Olympic Committee prepares suit against International Canoe Federation
• Nick Butler Swiss Canton votes against 2026 Winter Olympic bid in referendum
• Alastair Himmer Tokyo governor warns of spiralling 2020 Olympics costs
• Reuters Kenya accepts scrapping of order to disband Olympic committee
• Reuters Kuwait minister resigns ahead of planned no-confidence vote over IOC ban
• Reuters Olympics – Hungary to withdraw 2024 summer Olympic bid – government spokesman
• Reuters Olympics: Rights groups praise IOC's revisited Games contract
•  The Guardian Rio's Olympic venues, six months on – in pictures

Books 

• Cécile Chaussard and Thierry Chiron La Lutte Contre le Dopage – L'Essentiel du Droit
• Leanne O'Leary Employment and Labour Relations Law in the Premier League, NBA and International Rugby Union

Academic Articles

• Antoine Duval Not in My Name! Claudia Pechstein and the Post-Consensual Foundations of the Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Suren Gomtsian et al. Between the Green Pitch and the Red Tape: The Private Legal Order of FIFA
• Special Issue of the Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law – 20 Years After Bosman: The New Frontiers of EU Law and Sport (Freely downloadable for the next month!)
• Antoine Duval The Court of Arbitration for Sport and EU Law: Chronicle of an Encounter
• Ben Van Rompuy The Role of EU Competition Law in Tackling Abuse of Regulatory Power by Sports Associations

Blogs

Asser International Sports Law Blog

• Emre Bilginoglu Introducing the New Legal Challenges of E-sports
• Antoine Duval Doyen vs. Sporting I: Doyen's Pyrrhic Victory at the CAS
• Tomáš Grell FIFA's Responsibility for Human Rights Abuses in Qatar – Part I: The Claims Against FIFA
• Oskar Van Maren UEFA's Financial Fair Play Regulations and the Rise of Football's 1 %
• Shervine Nafissi Doyen vs. Sporting II: The Bitter End of Sporting's Fight at the Swiss Federal Supreme Court

Law in Sport 

• Jamie Singer Ross Brown Can suspicious betting alerts prove match fixing? The case of KS Skënderbeu v UEFA
• Jake Cohen Carol Cause Case review: US Soccer Federation v. National Players Association (use of player likenesses)
• John Elphick How to structure image rights companies for international athletes working in the U.K.
• Jasser Kassab How FIFA's TMS's global player exchange is changing how football clubs conduct international transfers
• Ryan Lake NHL expansion: The formation of the Vegas Golden Knights
• Andrea Sartori KPMG analysis of football clubs and the stock exchange in 2016
• Andrew Smith Can football players unilaterally retire from international duty? The Joël Matip and & Allan Nyom cases
• Lloyd Thomas Termination of football employment contracts without just cause: A review of Hakan Çalhanoglu v Trabzonspor FC

Others

• Nick Butler: Stalling IOC are still missing the point about McLaren Report evidence
• Doug VanDerwerken, Jacek Rothert and Brice Nguelifack The impact of suspension rules on fouls in football: Case study from the Premier League
• Anna Jean Kaiser Legacy of Rio Olympics so far is series of unkept promises
• Steve Silver How Donald Trump's SCOTUS pick, Neil Gorsuch, could shape the future of sports

Upcoming Events

• 6 April – Sportaccord Convention 2017 (''Lawaccord'') – Joint Session with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Aarhus, Denmark
• 28-29 April – 2017 Macolin Anti-Doping Summit: A Fresh Look at the Science, Legal, and Policy Aspects of Anti-Doping, Swiss National Sports Centre, Macolin (Magglingen) Switzerland
• 29-30 June – Sport & EU 12^th Annual Conference, Molde University College, Molde, Norway

Editor's note: This report compiles all relevant news, events and materials on International and European Sports Law based on the daily coverage provided on our twitter feed @Sportslaw_asser. You are invited to complete this survey via the comments section below, feel free to add links to important cases, documents and articles we might have overlooked.

The Headlines

The end of governance reforms at FIFA?

The main sports governance story that surfaced in the press (see here and here) during the last month is related to significant personal changes made by the FIFA Council within the organization’s institutional structure. In particular, the FIFA Council dismissed the heads of the investigatory (Mr Cornel Borbély) and adjudicatory (Mr Hans-Joachim Eckert) chambers of the Independent Ethics Committee, as well as the Head (Mr Miguel Maduro) of the Governance and Review Committee. The decision to remove Mr Maduro was taken arguably in response to his active role in barring Mr Vitaly Mutko, a Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, from sitting on the FIFA Council due to an imminent conflict of interests. These events constitute a major setback to governance reforms initiated by the football’s world governing body in 2015. For a more detailed insight into the governance reforms at FIFA, we invite you to read the recent blog written by our senior researcher Mr Antoine Duval.

The CAS award in Real Madrid CF v. FIFA

At the end of the month, the CAS finally published its award delivered in the arbitration procedure between the Spanish club Real Madrid CF and FIFA regarding the transfer of minor football players. Mr Michele Bernasconi, sitting as a Sole Arbitrator, partially upheld the appeal filed by Real Madrid CF against the decision rendered by the FIFA Appeal Committee on 8 April 2016. The Sole Arbitrator reduced the ban (registering new players both on a national and international level) imposed on the Spanish club by the FIFA Appeal Committee from two to one entire transfer period. Moreover, Real Madrid CF is now obliged to pay CHF 240,000 instead of the original fine amounting to CHF 360,000. 

UEFA incorporates human rights and anti-corruption criteria into bidding requirements

UEFA has recently made available the Bid Dossier Template for the 2024 European Championship that will be held either in Germany or Turkey. Amongst other things, the two remaining candidates shall describe in their bid dossiers a global strategy for integrating the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in order to protect, respect and fulfil universal human rights, including child rights and the rights of workers. On this occasion, UEFA President Mr Aleksander Čeferin stated that ‘it was imperative […] to introduce specific articles on the respect and protection of human rights in the bidding requirements for all our competitions.’ By incorporating human rights criteria into bidding requirements, UEFA joins the International Olympic Committee and FIFA in their efforts to tackle human rights abuses associated with mega sporting events.

The return of Claudia Pechstein: Bundesverfassungsgericht edition

Claudia Pechstein is back! For those who have already forgotten the case, this is a dispute involving a German Speed Skater and Olympic gold medallist challenging the validity of a CAS award imposing a doping ban (for greater detail see our previous blogs here and here, and the article by Antoine Duval and Ben van Rompuy). Nothing less than the survival of the CAS, at least as we know it, is at stake. While Claudia Pechstein lost in front of the Bundesgerichtshof, the decision was harshly criticized (here and here) and she decided to challenge the ruling in front of the German Bundesverfassungsgericht (constitutional court). Since last month, we know that the Bundesverfassungsgericht will hear and decide the claim, this as such is already a sign that the judges deem the case worthy of consideration and should be cause for concern for those wishing to keep the CAS as it currently is. The silver lining for CAS might be in the Bundesverfassungsgericht’s Solange jurisprudence, which could find a new expression in this peculiar context (as suggested here), it would preserve the CAS’s existence while forcing it to change.

Sports Law Related Decisions

• CAS – Award delivered in the arbitration between Arijan Ademi and UEFA
• CAS – Award delivered in the arbitration between IAAF and All Russia Athletics Federation & Vladimir Mokhnev
• CAS – Award delivered in the arbitration between Real Madrid and FIFA
• Supreme Court of Spain – Decision concerning the Spanish cyclist Roberto Heras

Official Documents and Press Releases

• CAS – CAS maintains the temporary bans imposed on six Russian athletes until 31 October 2017, at the latest
• CAS – CAS reduces the sanctions of football players Enrique Luis Triverio and Pablo Cesar Aguilar Benitez
• European Commission – State Aid: Commission approves Slovak support of EUR 36 million for the construction of the national football stadium in Bratislava
• European Commission – The Council approves the new work plan for sport
• Federal Constitutional Court of Germany – Pechstein's constitutional complaint to be heard in 2017
• FIBA – FIBA’s mid-term congress ratifies new headgear rule
• FIFA – Circular no. 1583: Amendment to Article 78 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code
• FIFA – FIFA welcomes outcome of NCP mediation process on workers’ welfare in Qatar
•  FIFA – Member associations release reports on intermediaries
• FIFA – Outcome of second meeting of Governance Committee
• FIFA – Suspension of the Malian FA lifted
•  IOC – Joint statement following the meeting of IOC President, Professor Richard McLaren and WADA President
• Tennis Integrity Unit – Junn Mitsuhashi banned for life for match-fixing offences
• UEFA – Bid Dossier Template for EURO 2024
• WADA – WADA Foundation Board takes decisive action on the Way Forward for the Agency and for Clean Sport

In the news

Doping

• Andy Brown Russia’s National Anti-Doping Plan denies institutional doping
• Andy Brown Spanish police dismantle new sports doping ring
• Michael Pavitt Russia in danger of missing Pyeongchang 2018 as International Paralympic Committee maintain suspension
• Michael Pavitt Russian race walker Trofimov handed four-year ban
  

Football

• Murad Ahmed FIFA ousts governance chief in ‘night of long knives’
• The Associated Press FIFA says blackface in Sochi parade was ‘inappropriate’
• BBC Sport Gothenburg v AIK: ‘Match-fixing attempt’ leads to Swedish fixture postponement
• Simon Bradley FIFA chief Infantino seeks ‘absolute power’ after ousting ethics heads
• Children Win UEFA incorporates human rights and anti-corruption criteria into bidding requirements
• Simon Evans FIFA’s chief ethics investigator and ethics judge replaced
• Graham Dunbar Two more members leave FIFA governance panel
• Nizaar Kinsella The laws of the transfer market could be rewritten with landmark court case in Italy
• James Lynch FIFA’s chance to show they put people ahead of money is now
•  Francine McKenna Will PwC throw the red card on its Swiss firm over FIFA
• Liam Morgan Palestine threaten to take FIFA to CAS after ‘illegal’ postponement of vote by Infantino
• Tariq Panja and Gaspard Sebag Soccer star homes raided in money-laundering investigation

Other

• Amnesty International Qatar: Abuse of migrant workers remains widespread as World Cup stadium hosts first match
• Graham Dunbar Swim body monitoring VP’s alleged role in FIFA bribery case
• Daniel Etchells American tennis player Kryvonos given 10-year ban for match-fixing
• Richard Martin Cycling: Authorities ordered to pay Heras compensation after appeal fails
• Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff Los Angeles residents start to organize against the Olympic bid

Academic Materials

• Mark James Sports Law 3^rd edition
• Nancy Leong Against Women’s Sports

Blogs

Asser International Sports Law Blog

• Antoine Duval The Reform of FIFA: Plus ça change, moins ça change?
• Serhat Yilmaz and Antoine Duval What Pogba’s transfer tells us about the (de)regulation of intermediaries in football
• Branislav Hock Nudging, not crushing, private orders: Private ordering in sports and the role of States
• Saverio Spera Exploring the Validity of Unilateral Extension Options in Football – Part 2: The view of the DRC and the CAS

Law in Sport

• Phil Bonner Are England’s current home grown player requirements sufficient to produce an elite national team?
• William Clerk The rebalancing of power: The need for greater transparency in sports tribunals
• Daniel Geey What a hard ‘red, white and blue’ Brexit may mean for domestic football
• Philip Hutchinson and Tiran Gunawardena Betting in football: Was the FA’s decision on Joey Barton a fair one?
• Stephen Ridgway The 4 key issues facing sports media rights lawyers in 2017: From Head Counsel, Sky Sports
• Lucien Valloni and Stéphanie Oneyser Player contracts: How contractual stability can override a liquidated damages clause
  

Others

• Andy Brown Pressure builds to secure fair athlete rights and representation
• Matt Hart ‘This does not sound legal’: Inside Nike’s Oregon project
• Bonita Mersiades The past is not another country for FIFA
• Léonard Stoyanov Switzerland to become more attractive for international arbitration

Upcoming Events

• 29-30 June – Sport & EU 12^th Annual Conference, Molde University College, Molde, Norway
• 31 August-1 September – EU Sports Law and Policy Summer School, Business and Law Building, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, the United Kingdom
• 26-27 October – ISLJ Annual Conference on International Sports Law, T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague, the Netherlands (Registration is now open here!)
• 26-30 November – Play the Game 2017: Riding Waves of Change, Eindhoven, the Netherlands

Editor's note: This report compiles all relevant news, events and materials on International and European Sports Law based on the daily coverage provided on our twitter feed @Sportslaw_asser. You are invited to complete this survey via the comments section below, feel free to add links to important cases, documents and articles we might have overlooked.

The Headlines

The Court of Arbitration for Sport bans 12 Russian track and field athletes

On 1 February 2019, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) communicated that it had rendered another 12 decisions in the seemingly endless saga concerning the state-sponsored doping programme in Russia. These first-instance decisions of the CAS involve 12 Russian track and field athletes who were all found guilty of anti-doping rule violations based on the evidence underlying the reports published by professor Richard McLaren and suspended from participating in sports competitions for periods ranging from two to eight years. Arguably the most prominent name that appears on the list of banned athletes is Ivan Ukhov, the 32-year-old high jump champion from the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The case was brought by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) that sought to convince the arbitrators that the athletes in question had participated in and/or benefited from anabolic steroid doping programmes and benefited from specific protective methods (washout schedules) in the period between the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow. The CAS was acting in lieau of the Russian Athletics Federation that remains suspended and thus unable to conduct any disciplinary procedures. The athletes have had the opportunity to appeal the decisions to the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division.

Federal Cartel Office in Germany finds Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter disproportionately restrictive

At the end of February, the German competition authority Bundeskartellamt announced that it had entered into a commitment agreement with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in which these two organisations had agreed to considerably enhance advertising opportunities for German athletes and their sponsors during the Olympic Games. The respective agreement is a direct consequence of the Bundeskartellamt’s finding that the IOC and the DOSB had abused their dominant position on the market for organising and marketing the Olympic Games by demanding that the athletes refrain from promoting their own sponsors while the Games are ongoing, as well as shortly before and after the Games. This restriction stems from Rule 40(3) of the Olympic Charter under which no competitor who participates in the Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes, unless the IOC Executive Board allows him/her to do so.

As part of fulfilling its obligations under the commitment agreement, the DOSB has relaxed its guidelines on promotional activities of German athletes during the Olympic Games. For its part, the IOC has declared that these new guidelines would take precedence over Rule 40(3) of the Olympic Charter. However, it still remains to be seen whether in response to the conclusions of the German competition authority the IOC will finally change the contentious rule.

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights refuses to pronounce itself on Claudia Pechstein’s case

Claudia Pechstein’s challenge against the CAS brought before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has not yielded the desired result for the German athlete. On 5 February 2019, a Panel of the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR decided that the Grand Chamber would not entertain the case. This means that the judgment handed down by the 3^rd Chamber of the ECtHR on 2 October 2018, in which the ECtHR confirmed that except for the lack of publicity of oral hearings the procedures of the CAS are compatible with the right to a fair trial under Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights, has now become final and binding. However, the protracted legal battle between the five-time Olympic champion in speed skating and the CAS is not over yet since there is one more challenge against the CAS and its independence pending before the German Constitutional Court. 

Sports Law Related Decisions

•  European Court of Human Rights – Decision on the application of Josip Šimunić against Croatia
• European Court of Justice – Opinion of Advocate General Tandev in the case C-22/18 TopFit e.V. and Daniele Biffi v. Deutscher Leichtathletikverband e.V.
• General Court of the European Union – Judgment of the General Court in the case T-679/16 Athletic Club v. European Commission
• General Court of the European Union – Judgment of the General Court in the case T-865/16 Fútbol Club Barcelona v. European Commission

Official Documents and Press Releases 

CAS

• CAS – Decision in the arbitration procedure between Worawi Makudi and FIFA: Sanction reduced
• CAS – Galatasaray v. UEFA – The Court of Arbitration for Sport reinstates the decision rendered by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body Investigatory Chamber and the resulting settlement agreement
• CAS – The CAS hearing in the arbitration procedure involving Caster Semenya, Athletics South Africa (ASA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has concluded
• CAS – Caster Semenya, Athletics South Africa (ASA) and International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF): Planning update
• CAS – The Court of Arbitration for Sport amends the periods of ineligibility of Ukrainian sprinters Olha Zemliak and Olesia Povh
• CAS – The Court of Arbitration for Sport issues decisions in 12 first-instance disciplinary procedures concerning Russian track and field athletes
• CAS – The Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds the appeal filed by Paris Saint-Germain
• CAS – The Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds the appeal of Stefan Luitz
• CAS – The European Court of Human Rights rejects the request of Claudia Pechstein to refer her case to the Grand Chamber of ECtHR

FIFA

• FIFA – Chelsea FC, The Football Association sanctioned for international transfers of minors
• FIFA – FIFA and Qatar announce joint venture to deliver 2022 FIFA World Cup
• FIFA – FIFA, CAF and African Union sign historic memorandum of understanding on education, anti-corruption and safety`
• FIFA – FIFA Council votes for the introduction of a revamped FIFA Club World Cup
• FIFA – FIFA’s big 5 transfer window analysis: $642.8m January outlay on international transfers
• FIFA – Infantino and Putin discuss World Cup legacy and continued support for Russian football
• FIFA – Joint statement from FIFA and CONMEBOL regarding Colombia
• FIFA – Portuguese club FC Porto sanctioned under third-party influence rules

IOC

• IOC – Independent research conducted on behalf of the IOC demonstrates global strength of the Olympic values
• IOC – IOC Evaluation Commission attests to sustainability of Stockholm-Are project in line with Olympic Agenda 2020
• IOC – IOC sanctions three athletes for failing anti-doping tests at London 2012
• IOC – IOC-supported guide outlines how sustainable venues can help conserve nature
• IOC – Levelling the field: A snapshot of how the IOC is advancing gender equality in sport
• IOC – Tokyo 2020 reveals progress on sustainability

UEFA

• UEFA – Aleksander Čeferin re-elected UEFA President until 2023
• UEFA – Investigatory Chamber opens investigation into Manchester City
• UEFA – UEFA and European Club Association sign memorandum of understanding

WADA

• WADA – WADA announces self-suspension of the Helsinki laboratory
• WADA – WADA declares the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Anti-Doping Committee non-compliant with World Anti-Doping Code    
• WADA – WADA publishes Independent Observer Team report from 2018 Asian Games
• WADA – WADA removes gymnastics from compliance watchlist
• WADA – WADA removes Nigeria from World Anti-Doping Code non-compliant list
• WADA – WADA statement on police raids in Austria and Germany
• WADA – WADA update on progress regarding Moscow Laboratory data
• WADA – WADA welcomes latest Court of Arbitration for Sport decisions
• WADA – World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards review the main focus at 2019 WADA Annual Symposium
• WADA – WADA Athlete Committee publishes 2019 Symposium Athlete Session summary

Other

• Athletics Integrity Unit – Athletics Integrity Unit welcomes CAS decision to sanction 12 Russian athletes based on the evidence underlying the McLaren reports
• Bundeskartellamt – German athletes and their sponsors obtain further advertising opportunities during the Olympic Games following Bundeskartellamt action – IOC and DOSB undertake to change the advertising guidelines
• European Leagues – Accounting for football players and financial fair play
• General Court of the European Union – The General Court annuls the Commission’s decision classifying the tax regime of four Spanish professional football clubs as State aid
• International Paralympic Committee – IPC to lift Russia suspension
• Tennis Integrity Unit – David Nordfeldt suspended and fined for betting on tennis
• Tennis Integrity Unit – Mauricio Alvarez-Guzman banned for life for tennis match-fixing and associated corruption offences
• T.M.C. Asser Institute – Asser takes part in a research project on EU sports diplomacy
• United Nations Human Rights Council – Resolution on elimination of discrimination against women and girls in sport
• USADA – International anti-doping leaders call on watershed opportunity to reform anti-doping system

In the news

Doping

• Associated Press 9 people arrested in doping raids in Austria and Germany

• BBC Sport Doping bans for 12 Russian athletes including 2012 Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov
• BBC Sport Russia doping scandal: IAAF upholds ban on Russian athletes until further notice
• Sean Ingle Geraint Thomas says cycling now ‘one of the cleanest sports around’
• Sean Ingle Russia’s Paralympic doping ban lifted after IPC praises ‘significant reforms’
• Sean Ingle Team GB cyclist backs athletes’ movement after frustration with WADA
• Duncan Mackay France issue arrest warrants for former IAAF treasurer and senior coach of Russian athletics team
• Duncan Mackay Olympic and world champions among Russian athletes banned after CAS ruling
• Duncan Mackay Russian Athletics Federation President admits he expected athletes to be banned by CAS based on Rodchenkov evidence
• Dan Palmer Austrian skier admits to recent doping as drugs investigation continues, reports claim
• Dan Palmer CAS overturns disqualification of Alpine Skiing World Cup winner after oxygen tank row
• Dan Palmer Council of Europe approve Bańka as WADA President candidate
• Dan Palmer International Paralympic Committee confirm conditional reinstatement of Russia
• Dan Palmer Twenty-one athletes suspected of being part of international doping ring following Seefeld raid
• Dan Palmer Ukrainian sprinters fail in bid to get drugs bans overturned at CAS
• Dan Palmer WADA finish upload of Moscow Laboratory data and prepare to check for authenticity
• Sportschau Bloody Business – new details emerge after doping raid

Football

• Ed Aarons Criminal or whistleblower? The story of the man behind Football Leaks
• Ed Aarons Manchester City set to add third-tier Chinese club to global portfolio
• David Conn Re-elected Čeferin stresses UEFA opposition to European Super League
• David Conn UEFA launches formal investigation into Manchester City’s FFP conduct
• Helen Davidson He’s free, but who’s to blame for Hakeem al-Araibi’s ordeal?
• Helen Davidson Human error and outdated IT led to Hakeem al-Araibi’s detention, says border force official
• Helen Davidson and Hannah Ellis-Petersen Hakeem al-Araibi on flight to Australia after release in Thailand
• Helen Davidson and Hannah Ellis-Petersen Hakeem al-Araibi: Power, politics, football and the will of the people
• Rob Harris FIFA explores Kuwait and Oman as 2022 World Cup co-hosts
• David Hytner Chelsea to appeal after being hit with transfer ban for two windows by FIFA
• David Hytner and Dominic Fifield Chelsea ‘astonished’ after FIFA rejects club’s request to freeze transfer ban
• Mike Hytner and Helen Davidson Hakeem al-Araibi: FFA cancels team trip to Thailand in support of refugee footballer
• Sean Ingle FIFA facing urgent calls to investigate Qatar World Cup bid claims
• Duncan Mackay Court of Arbitration for Sport lift FIFA ban on Makudi after successful appeal
• Duncan Mackay Former Socceroos captain claims Australia decision to support Sheikh Salman AFC election campaign is ‘sickening’
• Duncan Mackay Sheikh Salman to be re-elected unopposed as President of AFC after last opponent withdraws
• James Montague and Tariq Panja Ahead of Qatar World Cup, a Gulf feud plays out in the shadows
• Dan Palmer Former FIFA senior vice president Chung handed six-and-a-half year ban
• Dan Palmer UEFA charge Montenegro over alleged racist abuse against England
• Tariq Panja Feud over soccer piracy deepens as A.F.C. ends beIN sports contract
• Tariq Panja FIFA approves plan for new Club World Cup, to Europe’s dismay
• Tariq Panja Hacker who leaked soccer’s secrets loses extradition hearing
• Press Association Cardiff to tell FIFA that Emiliano Sala’s transfer from Nantes was invalid
• Barney Ronay Sportswashing and the tangled web of Europe’s biggest clubs

Other

• Graham Dunbar Victory for Olympic athletes in Germany to promote sponsors
• EurekAlert! Testosterone limits for female athletes based on ‘flawed’ research
• Bryan Armen Graham Colin Kaepernick reaches settlement with NFL over kneeling protest fallout
• Saja Hindi 51 women, girls sue U.S. Olympic Committee in federal court in Colorado for failing to stop sexual abuse by Larry Nasar
• Sean Ingle Caster Semenya: IAAF denies it wants to classify athlete as biological male
• Sean Ingle Caster Semenya is ‘unquestionably a woman’ say her lawyers
• Sean Ingle Caster Semenya case verdict postponed until end of April
• Sean Ingle F1 accused of ‘turning blind eye’ over activist’s jailing in Bahrain
• Sean Ingle Sports stars weigh in on row over transgender athletes
• Duncan Mackay American hijab pioneer slams French politicians campaigning against it in Paris 2024 build-up
• Duncan Mackay Row over sale of running hijab highlights divisive nature of debate in Paris 2024 build-up
• Duncan Mackay Takeda officially no longer an IOC member after resignation accepted
• Dan Palmer Government commissioned survey predicts financial boost for Italy if country wins race for 2026 Winter Olympics
• Dan Palmer Semenya accuses Coe of ‘reopening old wounds’ as war of words intensifies

Academic Materials

International Sports Law Journal

• Antonio Di Marco The International Governance of Sporting Organisations: International Convergences on an Idea of Democracy
• Johan Lindholm The Netflix-ication of Sports Broadcasting
• Roger Pielke Jr., Ross Tucker and Erik Boye Scientific Integrity and IAAF Testosterone Regulations
• Hubert Radke Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT) as a ‘Lawmaker’: The Creation of Global Standards of Basketball Contracts Through Consistent Arbitral Decision-Making 

Other

• Simon Boyes Ken Foster and the Genesis of Sports Law: A Personal Perspective
•  Ken Foster Global Sports Law Revisited
• Steve Greenfield, Mark James and Guy Osborn Ken Foster and the Development of UK Sports Law: A Reflective Interview
• Harvard Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law Volume 10, Issue 1`
• Ivan Waddington and Verner Moller WADA At Twenty: Old Problems and Old Thinking?

Blog

Law in Sport

• Carlos Carnero and Eduardo Montejo Why Spain’s approach to taxing image rights and agency income is discouraging overseas footballers
• Alex Haffner and Thomas Edwards Sailing into choppy waters? World Sailing under the competition law microscope
• Wouter Janssens The Basketball Arbitral Tribunal’s policy on publishing written reasons – does it strike the right balance between speed and legal certainty?
• Douglas N. Masters How technology is improving the fan experience – and creating legal challenges for clubs and leagues
• Elio Andrea Palmitessa Managing athlete image rights in Italy: Key considerations for structuring and accounting under the new tax regime
• Katarina Pijetlovic FINA’s decision to allow market access to rival competitions – a turn of the tide in professional swimming
• Celia Rooney A cautionary tale for arbitrators in sports law disputes – lessons from Fleetwood Wanderers v AFC Fylde
• Tom Rudkin Litigation privilege hammered? Key points for sports organisations on the scope of litigation privilege from the West Ham Stadium case
• Rustam Sethna A case for ending football’s mid-season transfer window
• Aaron Swerdlow In-stadium, real-time sports betting in the United States – an overview of legal issues facing clubs and leagues
• Leigh Thompson An assessment of the Council of Europe’s recommendations on the promotion of good governance in sport

Other

• Hakeem al-Araibi Running from Bahrain’s dark side
• Andy Brown Caster Semenya’s challenge to the DSD regulations: It’s complicated…
• Rafael Buschmann, Nicola Naber and Michael Wulzinger Possible conflict of interest dogs Football Leaks probe
• Paul Dimeo and Verner Moller The horror of the scapegoat
• Kelsey Erickson and Susan Backhouse Whistleblowing – Athletes shouldn’t have to choose between their careers and the truth
• Sean Ingle Court has Semenya’s career in its hands – and decision could affect all of sport
• Sean Ingle Football needs to get house in order over concussion, and it is not alone
• Katrina Karkazis Stop talking about testosterone – there’s no such thing as a ‘true sex’
• Alex Kay-Jelski There is no evidence of a crusade to obliterate women’s sport
• Alex Kelham German Olympians win relaxation of marketing rules
• Despina Mavromati No surprises – The first IOC appeal against a CAS award (CAS 2017/A/5379) dismissed by the Swiss Federal Tribunal
• Ann Peel The debate in sports over the definition of womanhood is paternalistic – and hypocritical
• Najah Yusuf Every moment I spend in prison in Bahrain stains the reputation of F1

Upcoming Events

• 26-27 April – Football, Finance and the Law, Lille, France
• 8 May – FIFA and Human Rights: Impacts, Policies and Responsibilities, T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague, Netherlands
• 16-18 May – 45^th Annual Sports Lawyers Association Conference, JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Phoenix, USA
• 22-23 May – Football Law 2019: Player Transfers, Agents, Politics and the Business of Football, London, UK
• 13-14 June – EU Law in Sport: Latest Trends, Brussels, Belgium
• 27-28 June – 14^th Sport&EU Annual Conference, Valleta, Malta
• 30 June -14 July – CLS Summer School 2019: Global Law of Sport, Patejdlova Bouda, Giant Mountains, Czech Republic
• 12-13 September – Understand the Rules of the Game 2019: LawInSport Annual Conference, London, UK
• 13-16 October – Play the Game 2019: Athlete Power on the Rise, Colorado Springs, USA
• 24-25 October – Third Annual International Sports Law Conference of the International Sports Law Journal, T.M.C. Asser Institute, The Hague, Netherlands