The European Commission wants to prepare a new strategy for European sport by the end of the year. In public consultations that ended late last year, nearly 80% of participants supported measures to protect the European model of sport, based among other things on open competitions and sporting promotion. The new strategy is expected to address issues such as the financing of local clubs, cooperation between leagues and the protection of players’ rights.
“At the end of last year, we completed a public consultation process in which we asked Europeans what challenges they see, what needs they have and how we should act to support and develop the European model of sport. We are now analysing these questionnaires, discussing the results with partners and I think we will prepare the strategy by the end of this year,” Katarzyna Smyk, Head of the European Commission Representation in Poland, told Newseria. “Sport is the responsibility of the Member States; it is their competence. Europe, however, tries to support the challenges and tasks that countries set themselves in this area.”
As the European Commission reported in April 2026, the most frequently raised issues during the public consultation included maintaining open competitions based on promotion and relegation, financial solidarity between professional and amateur sport, and greater support for local clubs and youth training.
“We are dealing with various needs related to cooperation between leagues, the autonomy of leagues and sports organisations. There are also issues connected with financing, especially for organisations operating at local level that require support because they do not have access to advertisers, while their role and functions are very important,” Smyk said.
In autumn 2025, the European Parliament also adopted its position on the future of sport. MEPs pointed, among other things, to the risks arising from the growing concentration of revenues among the largest clubs and sports organisations. They also stressed the need for greater transparency in transfer and contract rules, as well as more effective protection of players’ rights, including those of minors. The European Parliament also called for stronger support for athletes in education, mental health and life after retirement from sport.
“For us, an important element is to develop, through dialogue and social partners, minimum contractual principles for players and coaches, so that on the one hand employers, meaning sports organisations and clubs, and on the other hand players, meaning employees, have equal rights,” said Marcin Animucki, President of Ekstraklasa SA.
In October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union, in the so-called Diarra ruling, questioned part of the regulations concerning transfers and the termination of contracts by players, finding that they could violate the free movement of workers and EU competition law. The case concerned former French international Lassana Diarra, who, after terminating his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow, faced heavy financial sanctions and had difficulty signing a contract with a new club. Following the ruling, FIFA announced temporary changes to some transfer regulations.
A class action is also under way in the Netherlands, brought by the Justice for Players foundation against FIFA and the football federations of the Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium and Denmark. The organisation is seeking compensation for male and female professional footballers for the effects of transfer rules in force since 2002. According to the foundation, the case could involve around 100,000 current and former players from the EU and the United Kingdom. Analyses by Compass Lexecon indicate that players may have earned around 8% less on average during their careers because of the regulations in place.
League organisations and players’ unions have criticised FIFA, among other things, for expanding the number of international competitions and for the lack of proper consultations on the match calendar, which they say leads to excessive workloads for footballers. Disputes also concern the future of open competitions following earlier attempts to create a closed football Super League.
“Together with FIFPro, the players’ association, we have filed a complaint against FIFA with the European Commission in order to preserve the European model of sport, which is based primarily on promotion and relegation, on leagues being open and inclusive, and on the best teams in sporting terms, not the richest ones, qualifying for European cups,” Animucki explained. “I believe sport is not overregulated, and that is also a good thing. Experience shows that through dialogue we are able to identify several areas where regulation should be possible, such as blocking the idea of the Super League, a league for the chosen few.”
The new European model of sport is also expected to address financing. One of the EU instruments for funding sports projects is the Erasmus+ Sport programme, which supports cooperation between clubs, federations and sports organisations, as well as projects related to physical activity, social inclusion and the development of skills among coaches and sports staff. The Erasmus+ Sport budget for 2021–2027 amounts to more than EUR 500 million. The European Education and Culture Executive Agency reported that in 2025, funding was awarded to 350 Erasmus+ Sport projects with a total value of more than EUR 67 million.
“Erasmus+ is one of the European Union’s flagship projects. It is extremely popular and is a recognisable brand, which is why the European Commission has proposed a significant increase in funding for this programme,” Smyk said.
The financing of sports infrastructure is one of the topics in negotiations on the new EU budget for 2028–2034 and the future of cohesion policy. The European Commission emphasises that investments linked to the organisation of major sporting events include not only stadiums and arenas, but also transport, energy and security.
The Commission also points to the growing economic importance of the sports sector in the EU. According to its data, the industry accounts for 3.37% of the EU’s GDP, covering activities related to event organisation, media, tourism and sports infrastructure, among other areas.
“In recent years, sport has played an increasingly important role in national economies and in the European economy. Club budgets are growing, and household spending on entertainment, including football, is reaching very high levels, which is linked to business development. On the one hand, this represents a huge opportunity for the development of individual disciplines and sport as a whole. On the other hand, it also brings risks,” said the President of Ekstraklasa.
The European Commission also highlights the role of physical activity in tackling obesity, social exclusion and mental health problems, especially among children and young people.
