EU leaders finally signed a deal today on a new player transfer system agreed earlier this month between the EU and soccer authorities.
The leaders, attending a two-day EU summit in the Swedish capital, paraded with FIFA head Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Lennart Johansson before a short signing ceremony.
"This is a memorable day which will go down in the history of soccer," Blatter said.
The main element of the new system is that any player breaking his contract within the first two years of a three-year "protected" period could be barred from playing for his new club for four months in the next season. Repeat offenders could be barred for six months.
The EC had threatened to outlaw the existing transfer system under which soccer clubs demanded fees for in-contract players. It said the system broke EU employment rules and warned it could impose its own regulations.
"Of course you cannot please everybody and there are clubs and players who would like to see different regulations. But politics is about what is possible,"said Johansson.
The soccer players' union, FIFPro, criticised the deal and has threatened to go to court to test the new rules.
Blatter said FIFA and UEFA officials would meet players’ representatives next week to discuss introducing the new rules.
Reuters