This master’s thesis examines the impact of European Union law on the equality of conditions in European club football competitions, with a particular focus on state aid rules. It addresses the question of whether differences between national state aid regimes in EU Member States and third countries affect the competitive position of football clubs, and whether UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR) effectively mitigate these differences in practice.
The first part of the thesis analyses the EU state aid framework and its application in the field of sport, focusing on the criteria under Article 107(1) TFEU and the practice of the European Commission. It then examines UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations, their objectives and key regulatory mechanisms, and analyses their role in limiting state aid and promoting financial sustainability in European football.
The second part adopts a comparative approach, examining differences between national regimes and assessing, through a case study of Serbia, whether state support measures granted to football clubs would qualify as state aid under EU law and whether they comply with UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations.
The final part connects EU law with UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations and evaluates their practical effectiveness. It concludes that, although UEFA rules limit certain forms of financial imbalance, they do not fully neutralise differences arising from divergent national state aid regimes. As a result, equality of conditions between clubs is only partially achieved and remains influenced by the broader legal and economic environments in which clubs operate.
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