Belgium’s Jean-Marc Bosman won a landmark case in 1995 that made top soccer players such as Cristiano Ronaldo millions of fortunes, but he lives on a small pension.
Jean-Marc Bosman has revealed he lives on a pension of just £1,750 a month, marking the 30th anniversary of the trial that made the modern-day superstar a millionaire.
And the 61-year-old Belgian is now seeking recognition he believes he has never been given.
The 1995 Bosman ruling prohibited European clubs from demanding transfer fees from players whose contracts had expired. It also stopped football authorities from placing limits on the number of European players on teams.
The European Court of Justice’s ruling has revolutionized football’s economics and transfer market. Big teams attract the best players and this year Cristiano Ronaldo became the world’s first billionaire footballer with an estimated fortune of $1.4 billion (about £1.05 billion).
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But Bosman, a former Belgian Under-21 midfielder, has been mired in a five-year legal battle after RFC Liege refused to join Dunkirk in 1990.
He never played again, went bankrupt, underwent treatment for alcoholism, and was found guilty of assaulting his then-partner in 2013.
“Everything changed after that, the transfer window, the number of substitutes. It was a blessing for the club, the players, FIFA, UEFA, everyone, everyone who benefited from it,” Bosman said.
“Except for me. For everyone else, the sky is blue, the sea is green, the windows are open. For me, it’s been something else. The skies are blue, the grass is green, the windows are ajar, and I’m somewhat under house arrest.”
He added: “For the past few years FIFPro has been telling me that I need to do something about my pension. It’s about 2,000 euros a month. I’m 61 years old and I’m not getting any younger. I know it’s the players’ money. But I have one child to support and the other one is with me all the time. I had cervical spine surgery in 2019 and I can’t turn my neck completely anymore.”
“In 2024, I was supposed to receive a pension of 1,750 euros with one child to support, but in November the authorities decided that I was no longer disabled.
Bosman revealed that he was given 20,000 euros by Veronique, the mother and agent of former Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot, who told him: “We want to do something for you. We understand because we’ve seen the struggle you’ve been through.”
There was also an attempt to raise money from professional football players: “We contacted every player in Europe and they gave us a check for 45,000 euros. I did a quick calculation over 30 years and, excluding Adrien Rabiot, if you divide 45,000 euros by 70,000 FIFPro members, you get 64 cents per player.”
He is currently publishing a book telling his story, “My Fight for Freedom.”
“Yes, it’s good to spread the word and tell them (modern players), ‘This is what this gentleman gave you,'” Bosman told L’Equipe. “It’s been a tough few years and I’ve paid a huge price.
“Do I feel forgotten? No, definitely not. Avoided, maybe, but forgotten? No, I haven’t been invited by anyone, but God knows how much UEFA, FIFA or the Premier League, for example, have benefited from my decision. I’m sure all the big clubs are excited. Since then, Real Madrid have won the Champions League nine times. Thanks to my ruling, Real have had so many star players. If they had to give it to me, they should call it a second name: Hollywood Bossman!
“Still, I would like some recognition. Is it normal that the name Bossman is known all over the world, but not even in my own country? I want to be invited everywhere. But I’ve lived a quiet little life in my little village. Now I’m thinking about my children. That’s what bothers me.”
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