A New EU Ruling on No-Poach Agreements in Sports Leaves Room for Roster Stability Considerations

Publication date: May 22, 2026

The Court in CD Tondela held that restricting player recruitment can be contrary to EU competition law. Restrictions on recruitment, transfers and mobility are therefore prohibited under EU competition law, notably Article 101 TFEU, if the rules are anticompetitive by object or by effect (para. 98-99). TakeawaysCD Tondela confirms that no-poach agreements among professional football clubs are not immune from competition law scrutiny, even when concluded in exceptional circumstances such as a pandemic. What to do next: The ruling is the clearest endorsement of a possible stability justification for restrictions between sporting clubs in a sports context in the Courts case law. 30-31). 1In contrast, rules on the professional mobility of players have a direct impact on the conditions for engaging in economic activity and are within competition law (paras. Rules on noneconomic aspects of the sport, such as the rules of how the sport is played, fall outside competition law (paras. Nevertheless, the Court accepted a situation where the restriction was adopted by the clubs but with the endorsement of the association (para.