On 23 October 2026, the French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels rejected an appeal by Royal Antwerp and former player Lior Refaelov against UEFA rules that reserve places for players trained in academies. The ruling directly affects clubs in European cups, including teams that represent Romania.
The case had lasted for years and could have questioned one of the main criteria for building squads in international competitions. It concerns locally trained players, those who spent a significant part of their careers in the youth academy of their club or of another club in the same federation. Antwerp and Refaelov argued that the restrictions limit players' freedom of movement and clubs' freedom to assemble their squads.
The dispute also reached the Court of Justice of the European Union. In December 2023 that court raised doubts about whether the rules were compatible with European law and left the case to the Belgian judge. The Brussels court found that the UEFA quotas pursue a legitimate aim, encouraging clubs to invest in developing young players, and held that the restrictions were proportionate to that aim. The appeal was dismissed. The decision can still be challenged before the Court of Cassation, while the system remains in force.
The judgment also covers teams representing Romania in Europe. It confirms the rules those clubs must follow when they send UEFA lists of eligible players.
Under the UEFA regulations for the 2026-27 season, List A may contain at most 25 players, including at least two goalkeepers. Eight of those 25 places are reserved for locally trained footballers. To fill all eight, at least four players must have been trained at the club. The other four may come from the academies of other teams in Romania.
A player qualifies only after at least three full seasons, or 36 months, between the ages of 15 and 21 at the club or federation. The place of training decides the category, whatever the player's nationality. If a club lacks enough locally trained players, it cannot fill the reserved places with players signed from the transfer market, and it loses one or more places on List A.