During his opening address for the third edition of the FIFA Football Law Annual Review (FLAR), FIFA President Gianni Infantino highlighted the importance of transparency as a key component of FIFA’s commitment towards good governance, while also stressing FIFA’s recent regulatory amendments in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Football Law Annual Review is part of what the new FIFA is about,” the FIFA President said. “It’s part of the new transparency, openness and professionality we want to give to the world.”

In relation to the regulatory changes implemented during the past year to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FIFA President stressed that “as the world governing body of football, we had of course to amend various regulations (to help FIFA’s stakeholders, including member associations, leagues, clubs and players) to navigate through this highly complex situation, which is not yet over”.

Following the success of the two previous editions, the FLAR has once again brought together the game’s principal legal practitioners and football stakeholders from all around the world to discuss recent developments and future challenges pertaining to the activities of FIFA’s Legal and Compliance Division through an open and transparent platform.

Due to the international restrictions currently in place related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is taking place virtually and is open to the general public, free of charge, with all sessions streamed live on FIFA.com.

After an overview of 2020 – including reference to more than 67 seminars held with key stakeholders as part of the changes to football’s regulatory framework – and an outlook for 2021 by FIFA Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Emilio García Silvero, the opening day’s sessions comprised insights into key topics such as players’ status, CAS proceedings in relation to FIFA decisions, and disciplinary and ethics cases.

The second day will focus on the reform of football regulations, and will include presentations on the new FIFA eligibility rules to play for representative teams, minimum labour standards for female professional players, enforcement of FIFA decisions, the reform of the transfer system, new rules for international transfers involving amateurs, the new rules for the employment of coaches, as well as a round-table discussion with external experts on “what FIFA should do better”.

Additional details on the FLAR, as well as the full programme, are available here.

To relive the opening day FLAR discussions, click here.