The case came after Diarra’s contract with Lokomotiv Moscow was terminated in 2014 and he asked Fifa to confirm he was a free agent so he could move to Charleroi. The process caused a delay that ultimately saw the Belgian club pull out of a deal, which the player and his representatives argued represented a restraint of trade.

Some of FIFA's rules on player transfers go against European Union laws and free movement principles, the EU's top court said on Friday, in a ruling that could open the door for players to find a new club more easily after their contract is terminated.

The European Union’s highest court has decided that some of FIFA’s rules on international football transfers are contrary to EU law in a ruling that some experts have likened to the landmark Jean-Marc Bosman case in 1995.