Jean-Marc Bosman facts for kids
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Bosman with RFC Liège
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 October 1964 | ||
| Place of birth | Liège, Belgium | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1983–1988 | Standard Liège | 86 | (3) |
| 1988–1990 | RFC Liège | 3 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | Saint-Quentin | 12 | (1) |
| 1990 | Saint-Denis | 0 | (0) |
| 1990–1995 | Olympic Charleroi | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 103 | (4) | |
| International career | |||
| Belgium U21 | 20 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jean-Marc Bosman (born 30 October 1964) is a former professional footballer from Belgium. He played as a midfielder. He is famous for a legal case that changed football rules forever.
This important court decision, known as the Bosman ruling, was made by the European Court of Justice in 1995. It allowed professional footballers in the European Union to move to a new club for free once their contract with their old team ended. This rule completely changed how football players are hired.
Contents
Jean-Marc Bosman's Football Journey and Big Legal Fight
Before his famous court case, Jean-Marc Bosman played for Belgian football clubs. He was with Standard Liège from 1983 to 1988. Then he moved to RFC Liège in 1988. He also played for the Belgium U21 team 20 times. He even led the under-21 team as captain for a while.
In 1990, when Bosman was 25, his contract with RFC Liège ended. He wanted to join a French club called Dunkerque. However, RFC Liège demanded a large transfer fee for him, even though his contract was over. When Dunkerque refused to pay the high fee, Liège would not let Bosman leave. They also cut his wages by 75%.
This unfair situation led Bosman to take legal action. He sued RFC Liège, the Belgian FA, and UEFA. He argued that the rules stopping him from leaving his club, even after his contract ended, were against his rights. These rights were set out in the 1957 Treaty of Rome. This treaty allowed people to move freely for work within the European Community (now the European Union). Because of his lawsuit, his club suspended him.
While the court case was happening, Bosman played football in other places. He played briefly in the French lower leagues for second division club Saint-Quentin. He also played on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
On 15 December 1995, the European Court of Justice made its big decision. The court ruled that players should be free to move to new clubs when their contracts are finished. It also said that clubs in the European Union could sign any number of players from other EU countries.
Life After the Bosman Ruling
Even though Jean-Marc Bosman won his legal case, life was not always easy for him afterward. He hoped that the many players who benefited from the Bosman ruling would support him. He tried to sell special T-shirts with the slogan "Who's the Boz." However, he only sold one T-shirt, and that was to his lawyer's son. He also hoped to play a special match to celebrate his victory, but it did not happen as planned. He did play a match against Lille, but only about 2,000 people came to watch.
In 2020, Bosman was featured in a TV show called Bosman: The Player Who Changed Football. The show was made by BT Sport and included an interview with him by David Ginola.
As of 2015, Bosman was unemployed. He was receiving help from FIFPro, a worldwide organization for professional football players.
Personal Life
Jean-Marc Bosman has two sons. His older son is named Martin, and his younger son is named Samuel.
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Marc Bosman para niños
