Sport and EU Competition Law An Introductory Guide

This Practical Guide provides a foundational overview of the evolving application of EU competition law to sport, combining comprehensive analysis with practical guidance.

Estelle Ivanova and Ian Blackshaw explain how EU competition law shapes sports governance, examining its principles, scope, extraterritorial reach, enforcement and judicial dialogue, and its interaction with fundamental freedoms, human rights and international sports arbitration.

Key Features:

• Analyses the dual role of sports governing bodies as regulators and economic operators in organising and commercialising competitions
• Examines the application of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and EU merger control to sporting rules and commercial arrangements, including restrictive practices and abuse of dominance
• Analyses the application of EU law by CAS panels and the judicial review of CAS awards, including issues of Swiss public policy and ECtHR scrutiny
• Dissects leading disputes, including the Ticombo v IOC complaint, Royal Antwerp, RFC Seraing v FIFA and recent multiple club ownership disputes

This Practical Guide is designed for sports lawyers and competition practitioners handling sports-related disputes. It also serves as a valuable resource for sports administrators, sports marketers, academics, researchers and students of EU competition and sports law.

Estelle Ivanova, Attorney-at-Law, Paris Bar, France, and former Counsel and Head of the French Law Practice Group, VALLONI Attorneys at Law, Zurich and Ian Blackshaw, International Sports Law Consultant, VALLONI Attorneys at Law, Zurich, Switzerland