A lot of people have asked when did European clubs start given out players whose contract had elapsed free to other clubs that wanted their services. The policy is called the Bosman Rule because of a Belgian striker Jean-Marc Bosman whose decision to sign for local club Dunkirk in 1990 changed football forever and allow today’s players, some of whom weren’t born when Bosman began his career, to earn their current salaries.
Bosman had seen out his four year-deal contract at RFC Liege and rejected their new deal on a reduced wage. He agreed terms with Dunkirk and signed a contract when the clubs settled on a fee. But when Liege changed. Bosman’s Valuation to £400,000 over four times what he originally cost them. Dunkirk dropped out of the deal and Bosman was left clubless. He sued Liege and the Belgian. FA and took the case to the European Court of Justice who five years later, rule that Liege should have allowed the transfer as he was out of contract. By then, Bosman was playing for a fourth division club, Vise.
The ruling immediately handed players the power to run down their contracts and switch clubs with huge signing-on fees. Wage inflation soon followed. Bosman was frustrated that his efforts were not better rewarded than the £720,000 he earned from the settlement.
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