European football law recap: Vitesse & Chelsea links, Barce's transfer ban, Cardiff's rights to identity, and World Cup Stadia concerns
Friday, 04 April 2014 Author: Adam Lovatt, Thomas GibbyIn this week's European Football Law Blog Adam Lovatt and Thomas Gibby provide a recap of the football law news from around Europe including: alterations to traditional pub opening hours during 2014 World Cup England matches; KNVB’s investigation into the links between Vitesse Arnhem and Chelsea F.C.; FC Barcelona’s transfer ban; request filed for a legal right to protect a club’s identity; and, another construction worker’s death in Brazil.
Pub Licences for the World Cup
The Home Office has announced that pubs in England will be granted an extension to their traditional opening hours for World Cup matches involving England. The traditional closing time for pubs in England is 23:00.
The Home Office announcement means that pubs will be able to stay open until 01:00 for the match against Italy in the group stages of the tournament in Brazil, to be played on Saturday 14 June.
The announcement represents a u-turn by the government, which had previously announced that there would be no national extension of pub opening hours, as the World Cup was not seen as a unique event such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations which merited extended opening hours.
If England qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup, pubs will also have the right to apply for an extension of their license beyond 11pm for those matches involving England, in order that fans can stay in the pubs to watch, and maybe even celebrate, the result of the games.
Source articles:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26821767
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26006439
World Cup Construction Work Death
FIFA have had to answer more questions this week regarding the safety of the construction workers who are attempting to complete the twelve stadiums in Brazil in advance of the World Cup commencing.
An eighth construction worker working on the stadia to be used for the Finals has died while installing temporary seating at the Sao Paulo Arena (the third such death at that stadium alone). This is the seventh construction related death ahead of the Finals across Brazil, with one worker dying after suffering a heart attack on site.
The Sao Paulo Arena is due to host the opening match of the World Cup between Brazil and Croatia on 12 June, with the Brazilian Development Bank releasing two thirds of a $160million loan early last week to help ensure completion of the stadium ahead of the opening match. However, the cost to human life in ensuring that the stadia to be used for the tournaments are ready for June is a real dark cloud for FIFA hanging over the event, and appears to be being suppressed so as not to undermine the Brazilian spectacle.
There is a prevailing view that the need to ensure compliance with deadlines to meet the needs of the media and sponsors is compromising safety and costing lives. FIFA has, as yet, failed to fully address this or condemn Brazil for its failure to comply with what appears to be basic health and safety requirements and the safety of workers.
Source articles:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26806332
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/mar/30/brazil-world-cup-worker-dies
https://www.football.co.uk/brazil/sao_paulo_world_cup_stadium_still_concerns_fifa_rss4657926.shtml
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- Tags: Barcelona | Brazil | Dutch Football Association (KNVB) | FIFA | FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players | The FA | UEFA | United Kingdom (UK) | World Cup
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Written by
Adam Lovatt
Adam is a lawyer specialising in sports law with IMG. Adam has a wide range of commercial and litigation experience from his four years as a qualified solicitor. Adam has a passion for sports law and is currently undertaking a IP Law Masters programme with the University of London. He is passionate about most sports particularly football, golf and tennis.
Thomas Gibby
Thomas is a Solicitor in Kerman & Co’s sports team. Thomas is predominantly a commercial contracts lawyer who advises the team’s biggest sporting clients and major event organisers on a range of their commercial issues, including working in-house at The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon. His experience includes advising on data and consumer protection, IT/software development and procurement contracts.