Jean-Marc Bosman

For the Dutch international footballer, see John Bosman.

Jean-Marc Bosman

Personal information
Full name	Jean-Marc Bosman
Date of birth	(1964-10-30) 30 October 1964
Place of birth	Belgium
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1983–1988	Standard de Liège	86	(3)
1988–1990	R.F.C. de Liège	3	(0)
1990–1991	Olympique Saint-Quentin	12	(1)
1990	CS Saint-Denis	0	(0)
1990-1995	Olympic Charleroi	2	(0)
Total		103	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jean-Marc Bosman (French: [ʒɑ̃ maʁk bɔsmɑ̃]; born 30 October 1964) is a Belgian former professional footballer, whose judicial challenge of the football transfer rules led to the Bosman ruling in 1995. This landmark judgement completely changed the way footballers are employed, allowing professional players in the European Union (except for Malta where the illegal parameter system at the end of contract is still legal) to move freely to another club at the end of their contract with their present team.

Prior to the landmark trial, Bosman played for Belgian first division club Standard de Liège and RFC Liège and won 20 caps for Belgium at youth level. While the trial was ongoing Bosman played briefly in the French lower leagues, and on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion.

Some of his money was lost due to a bad investment in a special T-shirt line. Bosman hoped that the players who benefited from the Bosman ruling would support him by buying one of his "Who's the Boz' T-shirts. He sold only one, to the son of his lawyer. In order to pay his taxes, he was forced to sell his second house and his Porsche Carrera.

In April 2013 Bosman was sentenced to a year in prison following an assault on both his girlfriend and her daughter allegedly over his then girlfriend's refusal to give him an alcoholic drink in 2011.

External links

• FamousBelgians.net: Jean-Marc Bosman
• Uefa.com abridged interview: 2005 Interview with Jean-Marc Bosman
• BosmanRuling.co.uk