Wir freuen uns, den deutschen Rechtsanwalt Oliver Fischer in unserer Kanzlei willkommen zu heissen. Oliver Fischer ist ein hoch angesehener und renommierter Sportrechtsanwalt in Deutschland. Zu seinen Mandanten zählen Spitzensportler sowie Trainer, Vereine, Agenturen und Sponsoren, insbesondere in den Sportarten Fussball, Tennis und Handball....
Read MoreDer Erwerb einer Immobilie in der Schweiz durch einen italienischen Staatsbürger oder einen ausländischen Staatsbürger im Allgemeinen ist nicht völlig frei, sondern unterliegt bestimmten Beschränkungen, die aus einer besonderen schweizerischen Gesetzgebung hervorgehen: der sogenannten Lex-Koller. Seit 1961 gibt es in der Schweiz Gesetze, die den...
Read MoreWith just one year to go to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, which take place in Italy from 6-22 February 2026, Andrew Parsons, the President of the International Paralympic Committee, has sounded a warning note about the future of the Winter Paralympic Games and, indeed,...
Read MoreThe French Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) commenced a legal action before the Tribunal for Economic Activities (TEA) of Paris against DAZN, the global sports subscription video streaming service, for withholding half of a US$72.7 million (around Sw. Frs. 63.8 million) instalment, due in January...
Read More© IOC/Greg Martin A new President, to succeed Dr Thomas Bach, will be elected at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will be held in Athens, Greece, from 18-21 March 2025. The seven contenders are: David Lappartient (France); Morinari Watanabe (Japan); Prince...
Read MoreSepp Blatter, the former President of FIFA and Michel Platini, the former President of UEFA and former Vice President of FIFA, are back in a Special Federal Criminal Appeal Court in Mutenz, in the Canton of Basel, Switzerland, on 3 March 2025, facing the...
Read MoreWomen’s sport is continuing to grow in popularity and gain fans and attract major sponsors all over the world. This is particularly true of women’s football, where it is reported that many men prefer to watch and follow the women’s game, which is opening up...
Read MoreFIFA has published the CAS & Football Annual Report 2024, the third edition of this comprehensive document detailing the activities of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in football-related matters worldwide and, specifically, regarding the appeals submitted against FIFA decisions during that time....
Read MoreThe Organising Committee of the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games has this week unveiled the event’s official motto: ‚IT’s Your Vibe‚, described as a dynamic concept that places people at the centre of the Games. According to the Organising Committee: „‚IT’s Your Vibe‘...
Read MoreCertainly, the number of women who participate in sport in Italy is increasing, but a significant gender gap between sports women and men remains, especially in the leadership of Italian National Sports Federations, which is considerably lower than the European average. For example, it...
Read MoreAssociation football is the most popular sport in the world, but not so in Switzerland where the beautiful game is eclipsed by ice hockey, as far as attendance and television coverage are concerned. Globally, ice hockey has more than 1.6 million players in 79...
Read MoreAlthough, generally speaking, association football is the world’s most lucrative sport, it is not without its financial challenges and pressures. The finances of professional football clubs in France are regulated by the Direction Nationale de Contrôle de Gestion (National Directorate of Management Control) (DNCG). The...
Read MoreIntellectual Property, especially trademarks, play an important role in protecting the names and logos of major international sporting events, such as the UEFA European Football Championships (the Euros), the Wimbledon Championships, the Tour de France and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In particular, trademark rights...
Read MoreThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), on 15 February 2025, has withdrawn its Appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), which was filed in September 2024, and entered into a Case Resolution Agreement with the Italian number 1 men’s single tennis player, Jannik Sinner, whereby...
Read MoreAlthough association football is the world’s most popular and lucrative sport, the beautiful game, at all levels, faces financial pressures and challenges in many parts of the world in the present economic times. This is also true of Italian football and clubs, even top-tier ones,...
Read MoreMatch fixing in sport, or the manipulation of the results of sports competitions and events, is an ongoing and widespread problem despite continuing attempts, at the national and international levels, to eradicate it. Unfortunately, France is not immune from match fixing in its various forms,...
Read MoreAs noted in another Post on the website, women’s professional football in Europe and elsewhere is growing in popularity and this also applies to Italy. Italy was one of the first countries to host professional women’s football after European bans on women playing football came...
Read MoreWomen’s professional football in Europe, and elsewhere in the world, continues to grow in popularity and attract more fans, and this is also true in France. Women’s football in France is run by the French Football Federation (FFF) and played at the club and national...
Read MoreIn general, employment law in Italy is complex and there are special provisions, under Law No. 91 of 1981, which apply to sports employment contracts. As regards form, they must be in writing, otherwise they are null and void. As regards their provisions, sports employment...
Read MoreSports employment contracts are of increasing importance because of the sums involved, not least in the case of those of professional football players, which often raise complex legal and financial issues. For the majority of the major European Football Leagues, the 2025 Winter Football Transfer...
Read MoreConciliation is a formal, confidential, efficient and neutral proceeding for resolving disputes in Switzerland outside the ordinary courts system, under Article 213 of the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO). Generally speaking, it is the first step in litigation in Switzerland. Conciliation is mandatory for...
Read MoreInternational Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which will be observed on 21 March 2025, serves as a timely reminder of the broader fight against all forms of discrimination, including gender discrimination in sport. According to paragraph 4 of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism...
Read MoreIt has been announced that the Ice Lions of Kenya has become the fifth African team to be admitted to membership of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which has 84 members and is based in Zurich. Kenya has now joined teams from Algeria, Morocco,...
Read MoreWe are very pleased to announce that, with effect from 1 February 2025 Valloni, Attorneys at Law, Zurich, Switzerland, with its strong international legal practice and team of multilingual professionals, has expanded its boundaries and came to Milan! We are now able to offer Swiss...
Read MoreAs noted in another Post on the website, women’s professional football in Europe and elsewhere is growing in popularity and this also applies to Italy. Italy was one of the first countries to host professional women’s football after European bans on women playing football came...
Read MoreIn the last several years, women’s professional football has continued to grow in popularity and claim fans in many parts of the world, not least in Europe, including Switzerland. It is a far cry from earlier times when women were not allowed to compete in...
Read MoreSports Bodies, established as Associations in Switzerland, enjoy a unique regulatory framework, with a high degree of autonomy in relation to how they govern themselves and their sports. In fact, Swiss Association Law is based on the general principle of autonomy. This means that Sports...
Read MoreFurther to our earlier Post on the website, it has been announced on 10 January 2025 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that the Appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency against the doping case acquittal of the Italian tennis player and currently ranked...
Read MoreAs noted in a previous NEWS item on the website, safeguarding in sport is of increasing importance with many instances of exposure of sportspersons to a variety of unsafe situations and conditions in their sports that have come to light in recent times. Safeguarding may...
Read MoreBy Dr Lucien Valloni, Managing Partner, Valloni Attorneys at Law, Zurich, Switzerland Of the several sports cases dealt with by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court (TFS), on appeal from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), during last year, perhaps the most important one concerned...
Read MoreMatch fixing, also known as the manipulation of sports competitions, is contrary to the spirit and nature of sport, which relies on fair competition in all respects. Manipulation of sports competitions has been defined in article 3.1 of the Council of Europe Convention on the...
Read MoreIn a Decision rendered on 29 June 2023, the French Council of State (Le Conseil d’État) was presented with a case brought by two associations seeking to allow the hijab in the French Football Federation (FFF), alongside the League of Human Rights, which challenged the...
Read MoreItaly is one of those countries in which image rights are legally recognised and protected as such. The image rights of sportspersons are a valuable commodity and include, amongst others: a sportsperson’s name, nick name or initials; their squad number; their image or photograph; their...
Read MoreWith sports disputes on the increase and the need to settle them quickly, especially where sporting deadlines are in play, various forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) are proving attractive to the international sporting community. One such form of ADR, which is particularly appropriate, is...
Read MoreWir freuen uns, Felix Mathis als Mitglied unseres Teams begrüssen zu dürfen. Felix Mathis ist ein sehr erfahrener und führender Anwalt für Gesellschafts- und Handelsrecht sowie Prozessführung und wurde als solcher vom IFLR 1000 World’s Leading Lawyers Guide anerkannt. Er kommt von einer grossen...
Read MoreAlthough there are some signs of progress being made, generally speaking, gender equality in sport in Italy may be characterised as “a work in progress”. The number of women participating in sport is increasing, with around 48% of sportspersons being women. In some sports, however,...
Read MoreSports events in France are protected by several legal and practical measures. These include: A regularly updated book that contains all the French legislation relating to the organisation of sports events in France. The Code is divided into several parts: a legislative section (Articles L100-1...
Read MoreAs we have remarked elsewhere, sport and broadcasting are regarded as “a marriage made in heaven”. And this is particularly true of football coverage in France, with women’s football competitions now increasing in popularity in France and elsewhere. In June 1997, the European Parliament and...
Read MoreIn Italy, sportspersons can be held liable for injuries that they cause to others on the field of play under civil and criminal law. As regards civil liability, sportspersons may face claims from other sportspersons for damages, that is, financial compensation, caused by malicious, fraudulent...
Read MoreWomen’s sport continues to grow in popularity as well as in financial terms. Globally, double-digit growth is forecast for women’s sports revenues in the next 3-5 years, despite economic and geopolitical challenges facing the sports industry as a whole. As regards sports sponsorship, which is...
Read MoreDoping continues to be the scourge of many sports, including professional tennis, and the need to eradicate it in all its forms continues apace. Three doping cases in tennis have recently been reported, with seemingly inconsistent approaches and outcomes. These have been compared and criticised...
Read MoreGenerally speaking, sports-related disputes particularly lend themselves for settlement outside the ordinary courts system, that is, by some form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), the most common being arbitration. This is also the case in Switzerland, where we have the Court of Arbitration for Sport,...
Read MoreThe Italian plan to establish an independent Commission to oversee the financial budgets of football clubs has met with strong opposition, both domestically and internationally, and has led to tensions between the Government and FIFA and UEFA, the World and European Governing Bodies of football....
Read MoreSport is big business and there is much at stake on and off the field of play! In view of this, as sport continues to grow exponentially, so also, not surprisingly, do sports-related disputes. The question, therefore, arises: how best to settle them? In the...
Read MoreThe fight against doping in sport seems to be never ending and sports governing bodies – at the national and international levels – are committed to providing clean sport, whereby sportspersons can compete fairly and healthily. In Switzerland, anti-doping matters are regulated by the Swiss...
Read MoreWith so much at stake on the field of play and, with the rise of sports marketing as a multi-billion US dollar global industry, sports disputes are also increasing off the field of play. And France is no exception, with more and more sportspersons...
Read MoreThe image rights of sportspersons are a very valuable marketing and promotional tool, not least for football players and their clubs. As pointed out in a previous NEWS item, sports image rights are not universally recognised legally. However, in France, such rights are legally recognised...
Read MoreOne of the most popular and lucrative forms of sports marketing is sports sponsorship, which, globally, is worth more than US$100 billion (around Sw. Frs. 89.37 billion), and that amount is expected to almost double by 2030! Currently, the highest paid sportsperson in the world...
Read MoreFrom time to time, it may become necessary to legally enforce CAS Arbitral Awards, once final and binding, where a party concerned fails to comply with those Awards, especially ones involving the payment of substantial sums of money, by way of compensation or fines. Fortunately,...
Read MoreThe DRC is particularly involved in cases arising under the Regulation on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), especially on disputes relating to training compensation and solidarity contributions in football transfer cases. Under art.1 par.1 of Annexe 4 of the RSTP, training compensation must...
Read MoreIt is a well-known fact that the careers of elite sportspersons are relatively short compared with those of other professionals. For example, football players, on average, retire between the ages of 31 and 35, and reach their peak performances between the ages of 25 and...
Read MoreSport is all about fair competition, the so-called ‘level playing field’ and the unpredictability of the outcomes of sports events – or, at least, it should be! Unfortunately, there are many examples of practices in sport where this is not the case, and which negate...
Read MoreReports of injuries sustained by sportspersons on the field of play are almost an every-day occurrence, especially in these times when competition is so fierce and so much is at stake, not only in sporting terms but also in financial terms. Take the UEFA Champions...
Read MoreTechnology is an integral part of our daily lives, and, to some degree or another, we have become dependent upon it, and sport is not beyond its outreach. In fact, many sports are now embracing technology, in one form or another, to replace or supplement...
Read MoreSadly, more and more cases of abuse of young persons and vulnerable adults participating in a range of sports are being reported. This phenomenon has become of increasing importance, particularly with the rise in women’s participation in sport, not least in football. Many international and...
Read MoreThe Olympic Charter The Olympic Charter, in Principle 4 of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, makes it quite clear that the practice of sport is a human right, and provides that: “Every individual should have the right to practice sport without discrimination and in the...
Read MoreThe Internet is an integral part of modern life and, not least, commerce, and the registration of Internet addresses, ‘domain names’, is a common phenomenon in a wide range of activities, including sport. Many sports organisations and well-known sportspersons have registered domain names and the...
Read MoreOne of the sports law developments in Switzerland and internationally to watch out for in 2025 is the outcome of the reference, by the Mons Court of Appeal, Belgium, to the European Union Court of Justice (CJEU) for a Preliminary Ruling on whether...
Read MoreDr. iur. Lucien W. Valloni and Thilo Pachmann provide a comprehensive overview of dynamic sports law in their work „Sports Law in a nutshell“. The second edition examines current legislation and case law, especially in the context of Switzerland’s central role for international sports federations....
Read MoreSport and broadcasting have been well described as “a marriage made in heaven”, and this is particularly true of the broadcasting of football, the world’s most popular sport. Eye-watering sums are paid for sports broadcasting rights. For example, the English Premier League has sold for...
Read MoreFootball is the world’s favourite sport and, as such, the need for regulation for the benefit of the beautiful game and its players and fans is self-evident. In fact, in the United Kingdom, there are legislative proposals for the establishment of an independent Football Regulator...
Read MoreTransfers of professional football players, whether at the national or the international levels, make sporting news headlines whenever they take place, not least because of the eye-watering sums often involved. Last summer’s football transfer window was no exception, and the transfer, at the last minute,...
Read MoreImage rights are not legally recognised as such in all countries around the world, for example, in the United Kingdom, where they are only recognised for tax purposes. In the United States, image rights, known, as rights of publicity, are not recognised in all the...
Read MoreE-Sports, or electronic sports, may be defined as competitive video gaming, played, individually or in teams, on special consoles and personal computers. This form of video gaming involves humans competing against humans, usually with spectators, often millions of fans watching online and many also in...
Read MoreInterview with SAFP President Dr. Lucien Valloni concerning workload of players and health https://www.teleticino.ch/tgsport/ticinonews-sport-091024-6924
Read MoreWADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has confirmed that, on 26 September 2024, it has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case of the Italian tennis player, Jannik Sinner, who was found by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis...
Read MoreAn unprecedented legal complaint has been filed at the European Commission (EC) against the World Governing Body of Association Football, FIFA, alleging abuse of its dominant position regarding the international football calendar. The complaint has been made by the top 39 European Leagues, including the...
Read MoreSports betting is popular and big business around the world and worth some US$45 billion. This trend is likely to continue, and the value of sports betting is expected to increase by over 7% in the next five years! In Switzerland, sports betting is licensed...
Read MoreNew article of Lucien Valloni and Sara Botti in the September edition of Sports Law & Taxation on Women’s soccer: charting the economic landscape. Insights from Switzerland and Italy.
Read MoreOur former Legal Counsel and valued colleague, Ennio Bovolenta, has been offered and has accepted a position in the Legal Department of UEFA, the Governing Body of European Football. His move takes effect from 1 September 2024. We were sorry to see him leave the...
Read MoreA new Swiss Sports Tribunal (SST) has been established on 1 July 2024 by Swiss Olympic, the National Olympic Committee of Switzerland. The SST, based in Berne, has taken over the functions of the former Disciplinary Chamber of Swiss Sport and will be responsible for...
Read MoreMit Freude teilen wir unseren neuen Artikel zum Fall Cristiano Ronaldo und die italienische Besteuerung von Persönlichkeitsrechten von Dr. Lucien W. Valloni, Partner und Avv. Sara Botti, Of Counsel.
Read MoreErfreut teilen wir mit, dass unsere Partnerin Noemi Delli Colli, zusammen mit Prof. Rashid Bahar die Artikel 4, 5 und 20 des Finanzdienstleistungsgesetz im neu publizierten Basler Kommentar kommentierten.
Read MoreSAFP President Lucien Valloni and Player Relation Manager Orlando Urbano visited Christian Eriksen today at his training session in Chiasso. SAFP personally offered him all support from the players union in his way back to professional football. SAFP President Lucien Valloni also congratulated Eriksen for...
Read MoreWe are proud to be able to announce that our Partner Dr. Lucien W. Valloni has been listet by WWL – Thought Leaders – Switzerland – Sports & Entertainment 2021. https://whoswholegal.com/lucien-w-valloni
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Ennio Bovolenta ist ein italienischer Rechtsanwalt der auf internationales Sportrecht spezialisiert ist und über langjährige Erfahrung in der Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) verfügt.
Er berät in Vertragsstreitigkeiten zwischen Fußballspielern, Vereinen und Trainern sowie in sportbezogenen Verträgen und Verfahren vor dem Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Als ehemaliger Leiter der FIFA-Abteilung für Integrität ist er auch Experte für die Umsetzung von Programmen zur Förderung und zum Schutz der Integrität des Sports sowie für die Durchführung von Ermittlungen in Fällen von Korruption und Spielmanipulationen.
Derzeit ist Ennio als Ethik- und Disziplinarinspektor für die Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) tätig und setzt sich weiterhin für die Integrität im Sport ein.
Willkommen im Team Ennio!
D +41 44 515 02 38
bovolenta@valloni.ch
Wir freuen uns, bekannt zu geben, dass Prof. Dr. Ian Blackshaw LLM LLD ab dem 1. Oktober 2024 als internationaler Berater für Sportrecht in die Kanzlei eintritt.
Er ist ein internationaler Sportjurist, der zahlreiche Bücher und Artikel veröffentlicht hat, darunter zu den Themen Sportmarketing, Sportbildrechte und Streitbeilegung im Sport.
Er ist Mitglied des Court of Arbitration Sport in Lausanne, Schweiz, und des Schieds- und Schlichtungszentrums der WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) in Genf, Schweiz, und ein erfahrener internationaler Sportschiedsrichter und -mediator.
Er hat Erfahrung im Gesellschafts- und Handelsrecht und war als Syndikus bei The Coca-Cola Company und RJR Nabisco tätig.
Er hat Gastprofessuren an mehreren Universitäten inne und ist ein gefragter Referent und Leiter von Seminaren zum internationalen Sportrecht auf der ganzen Welt
Er ist außerdem beratender Redakteur von „Sports Law and Taxation“ (www.sportslawandtaxation.com).
Der Gründer und geschäftsführende Gesellschafter Dr. Lucien Valloni erklärte:
„Ian Blackshaw bringt anerkannte Fachkenntnisse und umfangreiche Berufserfahrung als internationaler Sportanwalt und Akademiker mit, was für meine Kanzlei und ihre Kunden von großem Wert sein wird.“
Peter J. Merz hat langjährige Erfahrung in einer führenden Wirtschaftskanzlei und berät Klienten branchenübergreifend bei allen Aspekten des streitigen und nicht-streitigen Vertrags-, Handels- und Gesellschaftsrechts.
Neben der Prozessführung begleitet er Firmen wie auch Private hinsichtlich ihrer spezifischen persönlichen und kommerziellen Interessen.
Willkommen im Team Peter!
Wir freuen uns, Sara Botti als Of Counsel bei VALLONI Rechtsanwälte zu begrüssen.
Sara ist eine in der Schweiz ansässige, italienische Rechtsanwältin. Saras bisherige erfolgreiche Praxis fokussiert auf die Beratung von Klienten in grenzüberschreitenden Angelegenheiten mit schweizerischen und italienischen Berührungspunkten. Durch den Zustoss von Sara Botti verstärken wir unsere internationale Prozesspraxis und erweitern das Angebot für unsere Klienten.
Wir freuen uns, Sara an Bord zu haben. Herzlich willkommen Sara!
Lucien W. Valloni – Live interview on RT International concerning the Biden / Putin summit in Geneva 2021
Lucien W. Valloni recomended in Chambers Europe 2021 Guide
Lucien W. Valloni – Interviewt in der SRF Rundschau Reportage zum Fussball-Hilfspaket des Bundes | Zurich, 27. May 27, 2020
Lucien W. Valloni – Speaker at Council for National and International Commercial Arbitration | Webinar, May 1, 2020
Lucien W. Valloni – Referent at Third Party Funding in Arbitration Global Online Forum | Webinar, April 24, 2020
Lucien W. Valloni – Moderator at Swiss Chinese Law Association | Webinar, February 28, 2020
Important Victory for Footballers in Turkey before the European Court of Human Rights
Lucien W. Valloni – Interview on RT International concerning doping scandle in Russian sport
Lucien W. Valloni – Interview on Radio RTS concerning Christian Constantins threat to lower salaries
Lucien W. Valloni – Interview on Channel One Russia concerning ther Rodchenkovs act passed by the US senat
Lucien W. Valloni on 10vor10 / SRF at 25’15
Lucien W. Valloni in The Best Lawyers in Switzerland 2019
Acquittal for goalkeeper won in the second instance!
Lucien W. Valloni reccommended in Chambers Europe 2019 Guide
Lucien W. Valloni – Interview on RT International concerning about the Russian biathlete Alexander Loginov
CAS Decision overturned by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court