Sports litigation | In Principle

The term “sports litigation” encompasses disputes involving persons involved in sport (clubs, players, trainers, agents, associations and so on). The most frequent disputes concern payment of fees due under contracts with players, trainers, managers, and other stakeholders. Such cases are heard before the district or regional court, depending on the amount in dispute. Disputes involving the image of players are also becoming more frequent as the image of players becomes an increasingly valuable asset. These cases are heard by the regional courts.

In practice, out-of-court arbitration may provide a faster and more effective method for resolving sports disputes, and enables the parties to entrust the case to arbitrators who are sports law professionals. In order to use arbitration, both parties to a dispute must sign an arbitration clause. Arbitration courts generally deal with the same kinds of cases heard by the state courts.