DESCRIPTION OF THE PROFESSIONAL
FOOTBALL INDUSTRY
Organisation of the industry
The professional football industry has three umbrella organisations. On a national level,
Football Clubs are members of the national football association. In the Netherlands, this
association is the KNVB. The national associations in Europe in turn are members of the
UEFA. Worldwide, the national football associations are members of the FIFA.
KNVB and Eredivisie N. V.
The Dutch regular leagues, including the Premier Division, are currently organised by the
KNVB. Condition for taking part in these professional competitions is that the Football
Clubs and the players playing in these competitions are members of the KNVB and that
the clubs have the licence which is issued each year by the KNVB. Through this
membership, the organisations and players are bound by KNVB's regulations, articles of
association and resolutions.
The Premier Division is expected to be played under responsibility of ENV from the start of
the 1998/1999 season. The Football Clubs which take part in the Premier Division will
remain members of the KNVB and will hold a clubshare in the ENV.
UEFA and FIFA
The European competitions, including the Champions League, are played under
responsibility of the UEFA. To enter clubs in the various European competitions, the
European national football associations, of which the Football Clubs must be members,
must be members of UEFA. Through this membership the national football associations,
and subsequently their members, are bound by UEFA's regulations and articles of
association. All football confederations, such as UEFA, are members of FIFA.
Regulations
The regulations and articles of association of the KNVB, UEFA and FIFA contain many
stipulations, including stipulations in the field of the employment and transfer of players
and order and safety. Possible sanctions for violation of regulations are cautioning, fines,
a ban from matches and/or competitions organised by that particular football association
for certain periods of time, and expulsion. The regulations and articles of association all
provide an arbitration and appeal procedure.
Players and transfers
Since the Bosman ruling, passed by the European Court of Justice in December 1995, the
clubs may no longer demand a transfer fee at the end of a player's contract when a player
from a member state of the European Union ('EU') wants to close a new contract with a
Football Club from another member state after the expiration of his contract. It is currently
still not clear whether and to what extent the ruling will have consequences for the
acceptability of transfer fees connected with transfers of non EU players to and from
EU countries. FIFA has announced measures to realise the worldwide implementation of
the Bosman ruling.
Ajax' aim is to contract players for several years. This does, however, not imply that these
contracts can under no circumstance be terminated before their official expiration.
The income which Ajax may receive unpon the leaving of a player before the official
expiration of his contract, could exceed or be lower than the bookvalue of that player's
contract.
Order and safety
The regulations of the KNVB impose a number of obligations to Dutch Football Clubs
regarding to order and safety. These obligations have been stated in 'Voorwaarden en
Veiligheidsbeleid en Voorschriften Wedstrijdorganisatie' of the KNVB.
These regulations state that the visiting Footbal Club will be liable for damage caused by
its supporters to possessions of the receiving Football Club. As a measure against
vandalism or other violating supporter behaviour, permission to the stadium can be
denied by terminating club cards which are needed to buy tickets.
