FROM CLAUSE TO CONTRACT: THE ROLE OF PLAYER CONTRACTS IN PUBLIC LIMITED SPORTS COMPANIES IN MOROCCO

Author

Issam Hantouri , Karima Ragouba


Abstract

 This article presents a review of the literature on professional player contracts in sports corporations (SA sportives) in Morocco, viewed both as a legal instrument for organizing sports-related work and as an economic asset that shapes the transfer market. By cross-referencing Moroccan positive law (the Dahir establishing the Code of Obligations and Contracts, Law No. 30-09 on Physical Education and Sports, Law No. 17-95 on Corporations, and the Labor Code), FIFA’s international regulations (Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players), and the case law of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the available scholarly literature identifies three converging findings: (i) the player contract is a hybrid in nature, falling at the intersection of an employment contract and a performance contract; (ii) the contract clause—in terms of its duration, renewal, termination, and transfer provisions—constitutes the central vehicle for value creation for the sports corporation; (iii) the Moroccan market remains largely unexplored by legal scholarship, even as the growing professionalization of clubs (Wydad, Raja, AS FAR) transforms the player contract into a source of financial data (valuation, amortization, capital gains on transfers). Finally, the article identifies gaps in the research and suggests methodological approaches for future empirical studies.Mots-clés : contrat de joueur ; société anonyme sportive ; marché des transferts ; droit marocain ; FIFA ; Tribunal arbitral du sport ; gouvernance sportive.



Keywords

player contract; sports corporation; transfer market; Moroccan law; FIFA; Court of Arbitration for Sport; sports governance.



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References


Moroccan Texts

  • Dahirof August 12, 1913, establishing the Code of Obligations and Contracts (Art. 86 et , Art. 327).
  • Law 17-95 on Corporations, Official Gazette 1996.
  • Law 30-09 on Physical Education and Sports, Dahir No. 1-11-84 of July 30, 2011, Official Gazette No. 5957.
  • Law 65-99 establishing the Labor Code (2003 ed., Official Gazette No. 5112).
  • StandardEmployment Contract for Professional Soccer Players, Ministerial Decree of  International Sports Regulations
  • FIFA, Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), 2024–2025 ed. (Art. 13–22; Annexes 3, 4, 5); Regulations of the Clearing House (2022); FIFA Disciplinary Code.

Case Law

  • CAS,CAS 2008/A/1519, FC Shakhtar Donetsk  Matuzalem, award of May 19, 2009 (proportionality of the termination indemnity, Art. 17 ITRS).
  • Decisions of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee and the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (training compensation, solidarity contribution).
  • Decisionsof the Commercial Chamber of the Court of Cassation (Morocco) regarding disputes between players and clubs.

Legal Theory and Research

  • KARAQUILLO(J.-P.) and BOURREAU (D.), Sports Law, Paris, LGDJ, 5th , 2007. RACINE (J.-B.), Sports Law, Paris, LGDJ, 2011.
  • SLOANE(P. ), “The Economics of Professional Football,” Scottish Journal of Political Economy, vol. 18, no. 2, 1971.
  • SCULLY (G. W.), “Pay and Performance in Major League Baseball,” American EconomicReview, vol. 64, no. 6, 1974.

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