Editor's note: This report compiles the most relevant legal news, events and materials on International and European Sports Law based on the daily coverage provided on our twitter feed @Sportslaw_asser. 

The Headlines

Manchester City sanctioned by UEFA’s Financial Fair Play

Manchester City has been sanctioned under UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations for two seasons for ‘overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information’ it had provided UEFA. The February 14 decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) likely heralds the start of a long and bitter legal war between Manchester City and UEFA, which may end up settling many of the questions surrounding the legality of FFP rules. Since its introduction in 2010, the compatibility of FFP with EU law, especially in terms of free movement and competition law, has been a continued point of contention amongst the parties concerned and commentators (see discussion here, here and here). It was only a matter of time that a case would arise to test this issue and the present circumstances seem to indicate that this may go all the way.                                 

Regardless, the ban will not be enforced this season and in light of the appeal process, it is hard to predict when the CFCB’s decision will have any effect. Indeed, Manchester City has shown an incredible willingness to fighting this out in the courts and shows no signs of backing down. The next stop will be the CAS and perhaps followed by the Swiss Federal Tribunal. It should also be recalled that the CAS has already examined FFP in its Galatasaray award, where it found FFP compatible with EU law (see commentary here). There is even a decent chance that this emerging saga may end up in front of the European Commission and eventually the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Sun Yang CAS award published

After a much-anticipated public hearing, the Panel’s award in the Sun Yang case has finally been published, sanctioning Sun Yang with an eight-year period of ineligibility (see here for a detailed commentary). The decision does not reveal anything groundbreaking in terms of its legal reasoning and in many ways the case will most likely be remembered for its historical significance: the case that jumpstarted a new era of increased public hearings at the CAS.

Perhaps of some interest is the extent to which the panel took into account Sun Yang’s behavior during the proceedings in order to support its assessment of the case. For example, the panel describes how Sun Yang had ignored the procedural rules of the hearing by inviting ‘an unknown and unannounced person from the public gallery to join him at his table and act as an impromptu interpreter’. The Panel interpreted this as Sun Yang attempting ‘to take matters into his own hands’ which it found resembled the athlete’s behavior in the case (see para 358). The Panel also found it ‘striking’ that Sun Yang did not express any remorse concerning his actions during the proceedings. Since the proceedings were held publicly and have been recorded, it is possible to verify the Panel’s assessment in this regard.

In the end, it is possible that Sun Yang may seek to reduce the period of ineligibility once the 2021 WADA Code comes into force (see para 368). For now, Sung Yang may also try to appeal the award to the Swiss Federal Tribunal on procedural grounds, and has already indicated his wish to do so.

Major International Sports Law Decisions

• CAS - CAS 2019/A/6148 World Anti-Doping Agency v. Sun Yang & Fédération Internationale de Natation
• CAS – CAS 2019/A/6298 Manchester City FC v. UEFA
• CAS - CAS 2019/A/6274 Inês Henriques, Claire Woods, Paola Pérez, Johana Ordóňez, Magaly Bonilla, Ainhoa Pinedo, Erin Taylor-Talcott & Quentin Rew v. IOC
• CAS - CAS 2018/A/6040 Club Atlético Boca Juniors v. CONMEBOL & Club Atlético River Plate

Recently Released CAS Decisions (since December 2019) where FIFA is a party:

• CAS - CAS 2019/A/6278 Cruzeiro EC v. FIFA
• CAS – CAS 2019 A 6276 Eskisehir Kulübü Dernegi v. Ruud Boffin & FIFA
• CAS - CAS 2019 A 6345 Club Raja Casablanca v. FIFA
• CAS - CAS 2019 A 6406 Football Association of Penang v. FIFA
• CAS - CAS 2019 A 6268 Clube Atlético Mineiro v. FIFA
• CAS - CAS 2018 A 5560 & 5650 Kuwait FA v. FIFA
• CAS - CAS 2019 A 6027 Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras v. FIFA 
• CAS - CAS 2019 A 6305 Club Raja Casablanca v. FIFA
• CAS - CAS 2017 O 5264 & 5265 & 5266 Miami FC & Kingston Stockade FC v. FIFA, CONCACAF & USSF
• CAS - CAS 2019 A 6239 Cruzeiro EC v. FIFA

Official Documents and Press Releases

CAS

• CAS - Sun Yang is found guilty of a doping offense and sanctioned with an 8-year period of ineligibility
• CAS - CAS procedure between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA)
• CAS - CAS upholds the appeal of Italian swimmer Filippo Magnini - annuls four-year ban
• CAS - CAS registers the appeal of Manchester City v. UEFA
• CAS - CAS reduces the suspension of Russian race walker Alexander Ivanov to two years
• CAS - CAS lifts the suspension of the Brazilian swimmer Gabriel da Silva Santos
• CAS - CAS does not have jurisdiction to rule on the appeals that sought the inclusion of a Womens 50km Race Walk at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• CAS - CAS orders Club Atlético River Plate to play its next two Copa Libertadores matches behind closed doors

FIFA

• FIFA - FIFA set to launch global fund for player salary protection
• FIFA - FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctions four players for involvement in match manipulation
• FIFA - FIFA’s transfer report: Big 5 accounted for almost three quarters of global spending in January 2020
• FIFA – Letter: Amendments to the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players
• FIFA - Football stakeholders agree further steps in the reform of the transfer system

IOC

• IOC – Free Speech for Olympic Athletes
• IOC – IOC Sanctions One Athlete for Failing Anti-Doping Tests at London 2012

WADA

• WADA – WADA Compliance Review Committee update
• WADA - WADA update regarding testing of Chinese athletes in light of coronavirus
• WADA - WADA publishes Independent Observer Team Report from 2019 African Games
• WADA - WADA statement regarding CAS public hearing – WADA V. SUN YANG & FINA

Other

• Athletics Integrity Unit – First Instance Decision: Peter Kewmoi
• Athletics Integrity Unit – First Instance Decision: Ruth Jebet
• Athletics Integrity Unit – First Instance Decision: Virjilio Griggs
• Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) – FEI Tribunal issues Final Decisions
• Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) – Prohibited substance cases under FEI anti-doping rules
• FIBA - Mexican Basketball Federation suspended
• FIBA - Luxembourg Appeals Court rules in favor of FIBA Europe in Euroleague case
• FINA - FINA STATEMENT - Sun Yang (CHN)
• FIVB – Legal Commission praises the FIVB’s principles of transparency and good governance
• Global Athlete – Global Athlete Survey Results: Athlete Rights, Welfare and Representation
• Global Athlete – Athlete Groups Calling for an Open Hearing at Court of Arbitration of Sport for the RUSADA Proceedings
• Global Athlete – Weightlifting Athletes Support the Independent Investigation Being Led by Mr. Richard McLaren
• International Biathlon Union – IBU Anti-Doping Hearing Panel renders verdicts on Sleptsova and Ustyugov
• International Luge Federation (FIL) - FIL President Fendt announces penalty for Summer Britcher
• International Tennis Federation – 2019 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme testing summary
• UEFA - UEFA and CONMEBOL renew Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation
• UEFA - Club Financial Control Body Adjudicatory Chamber decision on Manchester City Football Club
• World Curling - Membership of Polish Curling Association suspended

In the News

Football

• Tariq Panja - Audit Finds Suspicious Financial Dealings in African Soccer
• Martyn Ziegler - Manchester City demanded damages from ‘unlawful’ Uefa after Champions League ban recommendation, court documents reveal
• Philippe Auclair and Pål Ødegård – Out of Africa
• Tariq Panja and Rory Smith - Manchester City Banned From Champions League for 2 Seasons
• Rory Smith - Manchester City Vows to Fight, Because Losing Is Unthinkable
• Florian Soenen - Manchester City sanctionné : « Le Tribunal arbitral du sport pourrait considérer qu’il y a une inégalité avec le PSG »
• Jonathan Liew - Manchester City backers are not the sort to take Uefa's punishment lying down
• Associated Press - Soccer official challenges 10-year FIFA ban for self-dealing
• David Conn - Manchester City offer an olive branch now Uefa holds all the power
• Andrew Das - U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Sets Price for Ending Lawsuit: $67 Million
• Tariq Panja - FIFA, Seeking $1 Billion for Club World Cup, Hires U.S. Firm to Find It
• Graham Dunbar - A look at the legal issues in Man City’s appeal against UEFA

Doping

• Ali Iveson - Anti-doping testing in China suspended because of coronavirus fears
• Christoph Becker – Keine Transparenz im Anti-Doping-Kampf
• Graham Dunbar - Swimming authorities worked to protect Sun Yang from ban
• Tariq Panja - Dear CAS: With Flurry of Letters, Russia May Delay Olympic Ban
• Graham Dunbar - Olympic champion Sun Yang banned for 8 years in doping case

Other

• Eddie Pells - Survey finds Olympic, elite athletes struggling financially
• Andrew Keh and Ben Dooley - Grappling With Coronavirus, Tokyo Olympic Leaders Have No Good Options
• Alex Capstick and Rachel Nickolds - Blake Leeper: Paralympian appeals to CAS in bid to make 2020 Olympics

Academic Materials

International Sports Law Journal

• Chui Ling Goh - To what extent does the Paralympic Games promote the integration of disabled persons into society?

Other

• Steven A. Bank - FIFA, Forced Arbitration, and the U.S. Soccer Lawsuits

Blog

Asser International Sports Law Blog

• Thomas Terraz - How 2019 Will Shape the International Sports Law of the 2020s

Law in Sport

• Despina Mavromati - Riza v Turkey: European Court of Human Rights gives further guidance on establishing independent arbitral tribunals
• Christopher Flanagan - Manchester City's Financial Fair Play ban: the legal questions and consequences
• Christopher Chase - Rule 40 in the United States: new opportunities for sponsors but with strings attached
• Viktoria Tsvetanova - How competition law is shaping Olympic sponsorship: Part 1 – the origins and evolution of Rule 40
• Viktoria Tsvetanova - How competition law is shaping Olympic sponsorship: Part 2 – Germany's Competition Authority helps ease restrictions on athletes
• Celia Rooney - For the love of money: exploring the decision in the Saracens salary cap case
• Jack Anderson - A detailed review of the CAS Panel’s decision in WADA v Sun Yang & FINA

Play the Game

• Stanis Elsborg - A fist of freedom or a fist of iron? Rule 50 and the Olympic paradox

SportLegis

• Despina Mavromati - Sun Yang v. WADA & FINA – A CAS letter on the admissibility of the appeal is not an appealable decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal

Upcoming Events

18-19 June 2020 – Sport & EU 2020 Annual Conference, Rijeka and Opatija, Croatia

Editor's note: This report compiles the most relevant legal news, events and materials on International and European Sports Law based on the daily coverage provided on our twitter feed @Sportslaw_asser. 

The Headlines

Coronavirus Pandemic Takes Over Sports

Since the last monthly report, the coronavirus pandemic has completely taken over the headlines and has had enormous impacts on the sports field. The most significant of these impacts so far was the rather slow (see here and here) decision by the IOC to move the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021 after a widespread push among athlete stakeholders to do so. Concerns were raised that besides the wellbeing of the participants, athletes under lockdowns would not have the access to the training facilities, meaning preparations for the Games would suffer. The IOC has already started its new planning for Tokyo 2021 and sees this new opportunity to be ‘an Olympic flame’ at the end of a ‘dark tunnel’ for the entire world.

Besides the Olympics, football has also experienced colossal effects as this crisis landed right as leagues were approaching the end of their season. In this context, FIFA has released specific guidelines on player contracts and transfer windows, which has included extending player contracts to the new postponed end of season dates. It has also organized a working group on COVID-19, which has already made recommendations to postpone all men and women’s international matches that were to be played during the June 2020 window. Earlier in March, UEFA had already announced that the EURO 2020 was also postponed by 12 months and has also recently approved guidelines on domestic competitions. These guidelines place emphasis on ‘sporting merit’ and urge ‘National Associations and Leagues to explore all possible options to play all top domestic competitions giving access to UEFA club competitions to their natural conclusion’. Nevertheless, UEFA also emphasizes that the health of all stakeholders must remain the top priority.

In the end, numerous sport federations have also had to amend their calendars due to the pandemic (see UCI and FIBA) and a variety of sport stakeholders have been confronted with immense financial strain (e.g. football, tennis and cycling). For example, UEFA has acted preemptively in releasing club benefit payments to try to alleviate the economic pressure faced by clubs. There have also been efforts to support athletes directly (e.g. FIG and ITF). All in all, the social and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on sport have been unprecedented and will require creative solutions while continuing to place public health as the top priority.

Platini’s ECtHR Appeal Falls Flat

There have also been a few other stories that have (understandably) been overshadowed by the pandemic. One of these include Michel Platini’s unsuccessful appeal to the ECtHR challenging his 2015 football ban. The ECtHR’s decision concerned the admissibility of his appeal and in the end found it to be ‘manifestly ill-founded’. This is because he failed to raise his procedural rights concerns under Article 6 (1) ECHR in his proceedings at the Swiss Federal Tribunal. Besides rejecting his other claims based on Article 7 and 8 ECHR, the ECtHR decision also touched upon the issue of CAS’ procedural and institutional independence. In doing so, it referred to its Pechstein decision and once more affirmed that the CAS is sufficiently independent and impartial (see para 65), further giving credence to this notion from its case law. However, there are still concerns on this matter as was highlighted in the Pechstein dissent. Overall, the decision indicates that the ECtHR is willing to give the CAS the benefit of the doubt so long as it sufficiently takes into account the ECHR in its awards.

Mark Dry – UKAD Dispute

In February, Mark Dry was suspended by UKAD after a decision of the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) Appeal Tribunal  for four years after having given a ‘false account’ in order to ‘subvert the Doping Control process’. Specifically, Dry had told anti-doping authorities that he had been out fishing after he had missed a test at his residence. After further investigation, Dry admitted that he had forgotten to update his whereabouts while he was actually visiting his parents in Scotland and in panic, had told anti-doping authorities that he had been out fishing. Following the decision of the NADP Appeal Tribunal, athlete stakeholders have argued the four-year ban was disproportionate in this case. In particular, Global Athlete contended that Whereabouts Anti-Doping Rule Violations only occur in cases where an athlete misses three tests or filing failures within a year. Furthermore, even if Dry had ‘tampered or attempted to tamper’, a four-year sanction is too harsh. Subsequently, UKAD responded with a statement, arguing that ‘deliberately providing false information’ is ‘a serious breach of the rules’ and that the UKAD NADP Appeal Tribunal ‘operates independently’. In light of the mounting pressure, Witold Bańka, WADA President, also responded on Twitter that he is ‘committed to ensuring that athletes’ rights are upheld under the World Anti-Doping Code’.

Major International Sports Law Decisions

• CAS  - World Anti-Doping Agency v. Sun Yang & Fédération Internationale de Natation (Full Award)
• Court of Justice of the European Union - Cases T-732/16 Valencia Club de Fútbol v Commission and T-901/16 Elche Club de Fútbol v Commission (Valencia Club de Fútbol v Commission, Elche Club de Fútbol v Commission)
• European Court of Human Rights – Platini c. Suisse

Official Documents and Press Releases

CAS

• CAS – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Emergency Guidelines
• CAS - CAS dismisses the appeal of Hiromasa Fujimori v. FINA
• CAS - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Annuls the Suspension of Jarrion Lawson

FIFA

• FIFA – Statement from the FIFA President
• FIFA - FIFA guidelines to address legal consequences of COVID-19
• FIFA - Bureau of the FIFA Council decisions concerning impact of COVID-19
• FIFA - FIFA Congress rescheduled due to COVID-19
• FIFA - FIFA to collaborate with WHO to tackle coronavirus
• FIFA - Dedicated COVID-19 working group proposes recommendations after first meeting
• FIFA - FIFA Football Law Annual Review 2019 – online edition
• FIFA - Haitian Football Federation President provisionally banned from all football-related activities
• FIFA - FIFA and FIFPRO discuss collaboration to support and further develop women's football
• FIFA - FIFA, WHO and football stakeholders draft medical considerations and risk assessment tool

IOC

• IOC - Joint Statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee

• IOC – IOC continues working on human rights and takes first steps on a strategy
• IOC - IOC Sanctions One Athlete for Failing Anti-Doping Tests at London 2012
• IOC - IOC And Tokyo 2020 Joint Statement - Framework for Preparation of The Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Following Their Postponement to 2021
• IOC - IOC Statement on the Rodchenkov Act
• IOC - IOC Statement on Tamás Aján
• IOC - IOC Takes Leadership Role in UN Women Sports for Generation Equality Initiative
• IOC - IOC AC call: Updating athletes on anti-doping and the Olympic Movement Funding Model
• IOC - IOC Approves A Financial Envelope of up to USD 800 Million to Address the Covid-19 Crisis

UEFA

• UEFA - UEFA postpones EURO 2020 by 12 months
• UEFA - Resolution of the European football family on a coordinated response to the impact of the COVID-19 on competitions
• UEFA - UEFA postpones all June national team matches
• UEFA - Executive Committee approves guidelines on eligibility for participation in UEFA competitions
• UEFA – UEFA EURO 2020 club benefits paid in advance

WADA

• WADA – WADA Compliance – raising the standard of Anti-Doping Organizations’ work worldwide
• WADA - WADA calls on US Senate to consider widely held concerns about Rodchenkov Act
• WADA - WADA updates its COVID-19 guidance for Anti-Doping Organizations
• WADA - WADA responds to athlete queries concerning anti-doping in light of COVID-19
• WADA - WADA statement on Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 postponement
• WADA - WADA removes International Taekwondo Federation from World Anti-Doping Code non-compliant list
• WADA - WADA publishes first Code Compliance Annual Report
• WADA - WADA Compliance Review Committee update
• WADA - WADA hands over priority athlete cases to Anti-Doping Organizations in Russia investigation
• WADA – 2021 Model Rules for International Federations
• WADA - WADA fully reinstates accreditation of Salt Lake City Laboratory after partial suspension
• WADA - WADA publishes updated Question and Answer document for athletes related to COVID-19
• WADA - WADA study reveals no meaningful link between TUEs and the likelihood of winning an Olympic medal
• WADA - 2021 Model Rules for Major Events Organizations
• WADA - WADA invites stakeholders to nominate candidates for 2021 Standing Committee member vacancies
• WADA - WADA updates its COVID-19 guidance for Anti-Doping Organizations

Other

• Badminton World Federation - BWF Freezes Rankings
• Bundeskartellamt - Proceeding against Sky and DAZN discontinued – Award procedure relating to Champions League broadcasting rights
• Centre for Sport and Human Rights - Games Time: Planning and Acting to Respect Human Rights in Mega-Sporting Events
• Centre for Sport and Human Rights - Putting People First: Guidance for Sport on How to Respond to the COVID-19 Crisis
• EU Athletes - EU Athletes statement on COVID-19 impact on sport
• Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) - FEI publishes return to play policy as equestrian adapts to “new normal”
• Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) - Prohibited substance cases under FEI anti-doping rules
• Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) - Official news from the Executive Committee meeting - April 2020
• Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) - FIG statement on the suspension of a former US national coach
• Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) - FIG sets up a solidarity fund to support Gymnastics community affected by pandemic
• FIBA – FIBA's Executive Committee confirms global calendar update
• FIBA - FIBA publishes Guidelines for the Return to Basketball
• FIFPro – Coronavirus Impact on Professional Football
• Global Athlete – The Future of the Olympic Movement Must Include the Ability for Athletes to Collectively Bargain
• Global Athlete – Athletes Pushed the International Olympic Committee to Make an Immediate Decision to Postpone the Olympic Games
• Global Athlete – Global Athlete Survey Results: Athlete Feedback on Anti-Doping Programs
• Global Athlete – Global Athlete Survey Results: Athlete Rights, Welfare and Representation
• Global Athlete - In the Case of Mark Dry, British Athletics Athlete
• International Canoe Federation - ICF athlete statement on Covid-19 situation
• International Canoe Federation - ICF updates event status due to coronavirus
• International Canoe Federation - ICF board approves competition and rule changes
• International Handball Federation  - EHF Executive Committee Announces Competition Decisions for 2020
• International Handball Federation  - CAS Confirms IHF Arbitration Tribunal Decision in Moccia Case
• International Ice Hockey Federation – Three players suspended
• International Ice Hockey Federation – 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship cancelled
• International Ice Hockey Federation – CAS upholds Salmond suspension
• International Ice Hockey Federation – Women’s Worlds cancelled
• International Ski Federation (FIS) – Decision in the doping matter of Algo Kärp (EST)
• International Ski Federation (FIS) – IOC: Tokyo 2020 postponement a 'formidable opportunity' for Beijing 2022
• International Ski Federation (FIS) – FIS Anti-Doping programme and COVID-19
• International Tennis Federation – ITF Announces Further Suspensions Across All Tours
• International Tennis Federation – Tennis Unites to Create COVID-19 Player Relief Programme
• International Tennis Federation – Economic Challenges Resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic
• International Tennis Federation – Tennis Rallies Together for Player Relief Programme
• International Tennis Federation – ITF to Announce Further Support Programme for Lower-Ranked Players
• International Weightlifting Federation - IWF Executive Board Accepts Resignation Of IWF President Tamas Ajan
• International Weightlifting Federation - Reporting for the McLaren Enquiry
• Qatar 2022 – Fifth Annual Workers’ Welfare Progress Report
• Tennis Integrity Unit – Advice to Players from the TIU re unsanctioned tennis events
• Tennis Integrity Unit – Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board Reaches Decisions on Return to Tennis Campaign, Naming ff New Integrity Organisation and Anti-Doping Integration
• UCI - The UCI joins the movement for climate action initiated by the UN
• UCI - The UCI reveals the broad lines of the revised 2020 UCI International Road Calendar
• UCI - The UCI adopts a series of measures to confront the effects of the coronavirus on cycling and the Federation
• UCI - UCI statement on Luis Ricardo Villalobos Hernandez
• UKAD - UKAD statement on Mark Dry case
• UNI Global Union - World Players Association Welcomes Postponement of 2020 Tokyo Olympics Due to COVID-19
• USADA - AAA Panel Imposes Four-Year Sanction on Cycling Athlete Daniel Bond
• USADA - Dr. Lucas Penchel Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy
• Velon - Hammer Series 2020 suspended
• World Archery - World Archery and the Foundation for Global Sports Development Launch Covid-19 Fund for International Athletes
• World Athletics - World Athletics announces protected window for 2020 national championships
• World Athletics - World Athletics and IIRM form Outbreak Prevention Taskforce for mass events
• World Athletics - World Athletics makes commitment to a cleaner, greener, more equitable world
• World Athletics - World Athletics Council issues package of sanctions in relation to RusAF’s breach of anti-doping rules
• World Rowing Federation - FISA Executive Committee working on all fronts
• World Rugby - World Rugby, unions, competitions and players unified in tackling global COVID-19 rugby impact
• World Rugby – World Rugby announces global COVID-19 relief strategy
• World Rugby - World Rugby Statement: Francis Kean resignation
• World Rugby - Update: Global COVID-19 relief funding strategy
• World Triathlon – World Triathlon approves the COVID-19 Prevention Guidelines for Event Organisers
• World Triathlon – World Triathlon extends the suspension of activities until June 30

In the News

Football

• Tariq Panja - In Spain, Soccer Transfers and ‘Ghost Clubs’ Collide in a Tax-Fraud Case
• Tariq Panja - FIFA Plans Huge Emergency Fund to Support Ailing Soccer Industry
• Tariq Panja - U.S. Success Puts Focus on Swiss Failures in FIFA Corruption Case
• Tariq Panja - The Soccer Club as Sovereign State
• Tariq Panja - Sexual Abuse Case in Global Soccer Puts FIFA Under Scrutiny Again
• Tariq Panja and Kevin Draper - U.S. Says FIFA Officials Were Bribed to Award World Cups to Russia and Qatar
• Graham Dunbar - Swiss prosecutor disciplined for misconduct in FIFA case
• Graham Dunbar - 1st trial in Swiss FIFA investigation opens in court Monday
• Graham Dunbar - Sports court hears UAE challenge to Qatar’s Asian Cup title
• Graham Dunbar - Swiss trial in 2006 World Cup case suspended, nears collapse
• Graham Dunbar - CAS to hear Man City’s appeal against 2-year ban in June
• Ronald Blum - US prosecutors allege bribes in 2018, 2022 World Cup votes
• Barney Ronay - Resistance to Fifa is futile: fall in line or prepare to be Normalised
• Rémi Dupré - FIFA : « Le comportement de Gianni Infantino est éthiquement blâmable »
• Henry Habegger - Ex-Staatsanwalt über geheimes Lauber-Infantino-Treffen: «Es besteht ein dringender Verdacht gegen den Fifa-Chef»

Doping

• Jack Anderson - Sun Yang ban shows world swimming body must establish an integrity commission
• Tracey Holmes - Shayna Jack to appeal four-year ban at Court of Arbitration for Sport, after decision by ASADA panel
• Alex Hutchinson - We Can Now Estimate the Effect of Blood Doping
• Associated Press - 2 Olympic champions among 4 Russians with new doping charges

Other

• Michael Pavitt – RusAF fined $10 million as World Athletics cap neutral athlete process for Olympics
• Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff - The Coronavirus Exposes Why the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Should Be Canceled
• Rachel Bachman and Louise Radnofsky - Pressure From Athletes to Delay Olympics Intensifies
• Pete Pattisson and Roshan Sedhai - Covid-19 lockdown turns Qatar's largest migrant camp into 'virtual prison'
• Jack Anderson - Why the fall-out from postponing the Olympics may not be as bad as we think
• Brian Homewood - Athletes' association says change of culture needed at IOC
• Jules Boykoff - Coronavirus postponed the 2020 Tokyo Games. But the Olympic system is still sick.
• Antoni Slodkowski, Nathan Layne, Mari Saito and Ami Miyazaki - Exclusive: Japan businessman paid $8.2 million by Tokyo Olympics bid lobbied figure at center of French corruption probe
• Craig Lord - Sun Yang Dropped From Olympic Training Squad After WADA Alerted To Potential Breach Of Code
• Adam Nelson - IOC’s Haddad rejects Global Athlete’s collective bargaining call, backs solidarity model
• Associated Press - Policy allowing transgender athletes to compete as girls found to violate US law

Academic Materials

International Sports Law Journal: Volume 20, Issue 1-2, April 2020

• Johan Lindholm - When sports is the most important utterly non-important thing in the world
• Margareta Baddeley - The extraordinary autonomy of sports bodies under Swiss law: lessons to be drawn
• Ben Cisneros - Challenging the call: Should sports governing bodies be subject to judicial review?
• Chui Ling Goh - To what extent does the Paralympic Games promote the integration of disabled persons into society?
• Jacob Kornbeck - Statutory provision as a legal base for data transfers to third countries for anti-doping purposes, under EU and German law

• Marjolaine Viret - Using interdisciplinary tools to improve anti-doping: Utopia or necessity?

Other

• Antoine Duval - Time to Go Public? The Need for Transparency at the Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Johan Lindholm - What's Global Sports Law? The View from the Twittersphere
• Richard Pound - The Russian Doping Scandal: Some Reflections on Responsibility in Sport Governance
• Arnout Geeraert and Edith Drieskens - The dynamics of de‐delegation: A principal–agent explanation of the reversal of private authority in international sport governance

Blog

Asser International Sports Law Blog

• Thomas Terraz - Mega-sporting events and human rights: What role can EU sports diplomacy play? - Conference Report
• Thomas Terraz - (A)Political Games: A Critical History of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter

Law in Sport

• Christopher Flanagan - Manchester City's Financial Fair Play ban: the legal questions and consequences
• Toni Roca and Xavi Fernández - The 2020 changes to FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players
• Luka Milanovic and Dr. Vesna Bergant Rakocevic - COVID-19: the impact on players’ contractual rights & obligations (key principles from case law)
• Frans de Weger and Arne Al - COVID-19: a legal perspective on FIFA’s guiding principles for national football associations
• Marianne Clayton and Maria J. Segura Catalán - State aid in Spanish football - EU General Court annuls European Commission decision on Valencia CF & Elche CF
• Jonathan Taylor QC - Assessing contamination and thresholds under the World Anti-Doping Code: an advocate’s view on Lawson v IAAF (CAS 2019/A/6313)
• Michael Savva  and Stuart Bolton - A guide to Financial Fair Play and the ability of European football clubs to raise finance (Part 1)
• Mark James - COVID-19: ensuring participant & spectator safety as sports activities resume (UK guidance & legal duties)
• Wilfred Synrem - A guide to the main changes under the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code

Play the Game

• Andreas Selliaas - Football Leaks raises many questions – also for the media

• Jens Weinreich - A leaked list discloses how much cash the IOC paid for the 2016 Olympics in Rio
• Jens Sejer Andersen - FBI vs. FIFA: How deep an impact?

Sport Integrity Intitiative

• Andy Brown - FIFA asked to implement a human rights roadmap

Sportlegis

• Despina Mavromati - Scope and limits of res judicata of a previous CAS Award related to the same contract and the same parties
• Despina Mavromati - Enforcement of a CAS Award requested by the Swiss State Courts: the case of KMSC v. FIM

Other

• ATFIELD Sports Law - COVID-19 : FIFA Issues Guidelines Regarding Employment Contracts and Transfer Agreements
• ATFIELD Sports Law - Public Aid to Sports Clubs and Organisations Affected by Covid-19 Must Respect EU State Aid Rules
• ATFIELD Sports Law - State Aid in Sports: How to Maintain Fair Play?
• Doriane Labelet Coleman - Semenya and ASA v IAAF: Affirming the Lawfulness of a Sex-Based Eligibility Rule for the Women’s Category in Elite Sport

Upcoming Events

• 17-18 September 2020 - Understand The Rules Of The Game 2020 - LawInSport Annual Conference
• 17-18 June 2021 – Sport & EU 2020 Annual Conference, Rijeka and Opatija, Croatia