Lior Refaelov Case Could Spark European Football Shake-up

Belgian media is abuzz with a legal case involving former Israeli footballer Lior Refaelov, which could potentially shake up the European transfer market and UEFA regulations. The Brussels court is set to hear a case on Thursday and Friday that has been described as highly anticipated.

The dispute began in 2018 when Refaelov's former club, Royal Antwerp, signed him from Club Brugge. Antwerp believed Refaelov, who had recently obtained Belgian citizenship in addition to his Israeli nationality, would count as a domestic player.

However, shortly after his signing, the Belgian FA adopted a UEFA regulation stipulating that a player is only considered Belgian if they trained and developed in Belgium between the ages of 15 and 21. This reclassified Refaelov as a foreign player.

In 2020, Refaelov and Antwerp initiated legal proceedings against the Belgian FA, challenging the foreign player regulations. After their case was dismissed by the Belgian Court of Arbitration for Sport, they appealed to the Brussels court, which referred the matter to the European Union's Court of Justice. Advocate General Maciej Szpunar supported Refaelov and Antwerp's claims, deeming the regulations illegal and detrimental to the free movement of players, and sent his conclusions back to the Brussels court.

Belgian reports suggest that if the court adopts Szpunar's conclusions, it could lead to an unprecedented revolution in European football, potentially ending quotas for domestic players on matchday squads and having dramatic consequences for the entire football industry. It will be difficult for the Belgian FA and UEFA to convince the court not to adopt the EU court's position.