Shadow of Brexit Looms on British Sports

Abstract

Ever since the United Kingdom has decided to exit the European Union, after its June 2016 referendum results, all sectors of business which involve movement of resources across EU borders are pondering with the grave uncertainties that accompany this decision. Recently, British PM Theresa May has decided to trigger Article 50 that will enable UK to leave the EU by March 2019, through the removal of European Communities Act 1972. Amidst the plethora of issues that need to be managed, far down below in the list of priorities for UK will be how they will deal with the impact of British Exit from EU (Brexit) on the non-EU players who come under the Kolpak, Bosman, and Cotonou agreements. This article deals with a detailed literature review of existing rulings and the potential impact of Brexit on the sportsmen plying their trade in UK under the relaxed conditions of the above agreements and how things will be different once Brexit is implemented by 2019.

Keywords: Brexit, Kolpak Agreement, Bosman Ruling, Cotonou Agreement

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