A forgotten man who got nothing for his troubles
THIS month marks the 25th anniversary of what is known throughout the footballing world as the Bosman ruling – a seismic reform laid down by the European Court of Justice that was to change the game forever. One that was to allow players their freedom and opportunity to earn untold riches but ultimately ruin the life of the man whose name it bears.
For the past quarter of a century a ‘Bosman’ has been synonymous with the transfer market as out-of-contract players, no longer tied to their clubs, are free to negotiate their own deals – a benefit enjoyed by the likes of Steve McManaman, Andrea Pirlo and Robert Lewandowski – but what of the man himself?
A new documentary, Bosman – The Player Who Changed Football (BT Sport) finds former Tottenham midfielder David Ginola in Belgium where he catches up with Jean-Marc Bosman, an unlikely footballing hero who seemingly gave everything for the game but got little in return.
A talented midfielder, Bosman was 25 when unable to hold down a regular place at RFC Liege he had an opportunity to join French outfit
Bosman’s is a sad and powerful tale. His marriage broke up and he found himself living in his mum’s garage
Dunkirk. However, the two clubs were unable to agree a transfer fee and Bosman found himself confined to the reserves and hit with a 75 per cent pay cut. Despite being out of contract, the fact Liege still retained his registration meant he was trapped at the club and unable to leave.
In an attempt to win his freedom, Bosman called in the lawyers. He was told the case against the Belgian FA and Uefa would take two weeks but it took five years. What began as one man’s fight ended in one of the biggest changes in world football, but it came at a heavy price.
As well as taking up five of what should have been the most productive years of his career, Bosman found football turning its back on him. His marriage broke up and at one time he was living in his mum’s garage. He suffered from depression and turned to drink.
Bosman’s is a sad and powerful tale. This ‘oneman army’, as Ginola calls him, sacrificed all he had for the benefit of the game but still remains largely unknown. ‘Everyone knows the Bosman rule but nobody knows the man. I am a man without a face,’ he says. Football owes him a lot.