The legal and economic aspects of transfers of football players in the European Union

The aim of this paper is to present legal and economic aspects of the transfers of football players. Secondary research will be conducted using secondary data sources, including professional literature, articles, and publicly available data from competent institutions. The methodology includes a desk method, analysis and synthesis, and deduction and induction. The aim is to synthesize relevant knowledge and provide an overview of existing literature and player transfers in the EU. The paper will deal with legal issues and regulatory framework of transfers of players, in order to corroborate the topic paper will present some of the prominent cases which shaped the transfer system. The free movement of people and sports professionals is a key component of player transfers, and in order to confirm this, the Bosman case, as well as additional cases, will be examined. Transfer market will be analyzed on a historical basis with an emphasis on the period of the last decade. Also the paper will present economic aspects of transfers and interpret statistics with an accent on European big-five leagues and Croatian league as well. The paper will provide an insight into the contract of transfer and will specify the obligations of the parties involved, clubs and players