Labour Relations in Professional Football

A social dialogue committee for European professional football was established in 2008 and concluded its first agreement in 2012, on minimum requirements for standard player contracts in the EU and UEFA territory. This agreement is significant as it stands as the first formal European wide agreement between organised employer and employee interests in European professional football. This paper explores the origins, significance and implementation of this agreement. It argues that the scope of the agreement can be widened considerably to include some of the key contentious issues facing European football, such as the reformation of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. However, drawing on research from the Balkan states, the paper also highlights many problems connected to labour relations in professional football including: a lack of organised employer associations, weak trade unions, problems connected with the employment status of players and poor employment practices. The authors will present what has been achieved since the 2012 agreement and highlight what are the core problems with its implementation.