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The Application of EU Competition Law to Sports - Between Autonomy and Abuse: How EU Competition Law Constrains the Power of Sports Governing Bodies

Hodovanets, Olesia LU (2025) HARN63 20251
Department of Business Law
Abstract
This thesis explores the application of European Union competition law —
specifically Article 102 TFEU — to the regulatory conduct of dominant sports
governing bodies such as UEFA, FIFA, and ISU. As sport has evolved into a major
economic sector, the dual role of these organizations as both regulators and
commercial actors has raised significant legal questions concerning abuse of
dominance and market access.
The study adopts a doctrinal legal methodology, examining key legal texts,
institutional practices, and landmark judgments including Meca-Medina, ISU, and
Super League. It investigates how courts and regulators delineate the boundary
between legitimate sporting autonomy and anti-competitive behavior, with
particular... (More)
This thesis explores the application of European Union competition law —
specifically Article 102 TFEU — to the regulatory conduct of dominant sports
governing bodies such as UEFA, FIFA, and ISU. As sport has evolved into a major
economic sector, the dual role of these organizations as both regulators and
commercial actors has raised significant legal questions concerning abuse of
dominance and market access.
The study adopts a doctrinal legal methodology, examining key legal texts,
institutional practices, and landmark judgments including Meca-Medina, ISU, and
Super League. It investigates how courts and regulators delineate the boundary
between legitimate sporting autonomy and anti-competitive behavior, with
particular attention to principles of proportionality, necessity, and transparency.
Additionally, the thesis incorporates a comparative perspective with U.S. antitrust
law, highlighting structural and conceptual differences in how dominant actors in
sport are regulated. While both legal systems aim to preserve competitive markets,
the EU framework places greater emphasis on safeguarding market fairness and
preventing conflicts of interest where regulatory and commercial roles intersect.
The findings underscore that while sport retains its unique character within EU law,
it is not exempt from competition rules. Instead, the specificity of sport must be
balanced against the imperative to maintain open and non-discriminatory markets.
By clarifying the conditions under which self-regulation may constitute abuse of
dominance, this thesis contributes to the broader discourse on the evolving legal
governance of professional sport in Europe. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hodovanets, Olesia LU
supervisor
organization
course
HARN63 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
EU competition law, Article 102 TFEU, sports governance, abuse of dominance, sporting autonomy, ISU, Super League, U.S. antitrust law.
language
English
id
9196161
date added to LUP
2025-06-10 13:10:09
date last changed
2025-06-10 13:10:09
@misc{9196161,
  abstract     = {{This thesis explores the application of European Union competition law —
specifically Article 102 TFEU — to the regulatory conduct of dominant sports
governing bodies such as UEFA, FIFA, and ISU. As sport has evolved into a major
economic sector, the dual role of these organizations as both regulators and
commercial actors has raised significant legal questions concerning abuse of
dominance and market access.
The study adopts a doctrinal legal methodology, examining key legal texts,
institutional practices, and landmark judgments including Meca-Medina, ISU, and
Super League. It investigates how courts and regulators delineate the boundary
between legitimate sporting autonomy and anti-competitive behavior, with
particular attention to principles of proportionality, necessity, and transparency.
Additionally, the thesis incorporates a comparative perspective with U.S. antitrust
law, highlighting structural and conceptual differences in how dominant actors in
sport are regulated. While both legal systems aim to preserve competitive markets,
the EU framework places greater emphasis on safeguarding market fairness and
preventing conflicts of interest where regulatory and commercial roles intersect.
The findings underscore that while sport retains its unique character within EU law,
it is not exempt from competition rules. Instead, the specificity of sport must be
balanced against the imperative to maintain open and non-discriminatory markets.
By clarifying the conditions under which self-regulation may constitute abuse of
dominance, this thesis contributes to the broader discourse on the evolving legal
governance of professional sport in Europe.}},
  author       = {{Hodovanets, Olesia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Application of EU Competition Law to Sports - Between Autonomy and Abuse: How EU Competition Law Constrains the Power of Sports Governing Bodies}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}