Eleven Spanish coaches rebel and begin the search for their own Bosman Law.

"Before, there was the coach, and no one paid much attention to him. The coach died, quietly, when the game stopped being a game and professional football needed a technocracy of order." This excerpt from El fútbol a sol y sombra (Football in Sun and Shadow ), the brilliant work by Eduardo Galeano , serves to vindicate the figure of the football coach, although precisely from that professional perspective to which the Uruguayan writer referred.

A group of Spanish coaches, currently eleven, as if they were a football team in which all are starters, is working to ensure that the Professional Associated Football Coaches (EFA Pro) platform will become a union in the future for this group, so often despised by managers, who treat them like disposable handkerchiefs, and vilified by fans, who prefer to attack them rather than their players.

These eleven coaches , grouped around the aforementioned EFA Pro, chaired by Javier Cano, currently in the United States , are not only willing to fight for their interests, but have already begun to do so by filing a joint appeal for reconsideration before the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for considering illegal the federation's decision to subject them to a "re-evaluation" of their UEFA Recognition of Competencies Certificates (UEFA RoC).

The coaches were declared eligible in early 2025 after proving their professional experience abroad . However, on June 3, they received an email notification de facto revoking their certification and requiring them to undergo a new process. Their appeal alleges that the RFEF's actions retroactively apply a rule that restricts rights, violating legal certainty and the principle of non-retroactivity. It amounts to a covert revocation of firm and favorable administrative acts , without justification or valid legal procedure.

A situation of irreparable professional damage

Finally, they believe it places coaches in a situation of irreparable professional harm , jeopardizing contracts, visas, and work-related travel already signed abroad. Therefore, the proponents of this appeal have requested the immediate repeal of the requirement and the full revalidation of their certifications, as well as the precautionary suspension of the procedure initiated by the RFEF .

EFA Pro insists on the need to have a stable, transparent legal framework that respects acquired rights.

EFA Pro warns of the lack of guarantees in federation procedures and emphasizes the need for a stable, transparent legal framework that respects acquired rights, especially at a key moment for the professionalization of the group. This case, they assert, is a wake-up call regarding the importance of creating a collective and union voice to defend coaches in Spain and before national and international sports institutions.

This conflict surrounding UEFA certifications acts as a catalyst. It's worth remembering that Spanish law protects the existence of private centers authorized to issue official qualifications, even with the King's signature . In this context, UEFA is once again behaving like a monopoly. It can and should demand respect for its rules, but not at the expense of encouraging federations to violate the laws of their respective countries.

Since the RFEF is washing its hands of the matter, Javier Cano has sent a letter to the UEFA president. "I presume you are aware that an agreement was recently reached with the current president of the RFEF, Mr. Louzán," he comments, referring to the pact the Galician reached with Miguel Galán . He adds: "Having conveyed this concern to the RFEF, they have verbally informed us that they are not happy with this solution and that these are direct impositions from UEFA , which you preside over."

"After conveying this concern to the RFEF, they informed us that they are not happy with this solution and that it is a direct imposition by UEFA."

And the president of EFA Pro states in his letter to Aleksander Ceferin : "Therefore, given the confusion in the information, the seriousness of the situation and the dates in which we find ourselves , I ask you to urgently designate an interlocutor with whom we can directly contrast UEFA's will and try to reach a satisfactory solution for all parties. Thanking you in advance for all the effort and attention you can dedicate to this unpleasant matter."

"The most interesting thing about this case is that it bears many similarities to the Bosman case," comments a keen expert on the world of federations, who prefers to remain anonymous. "Now, as then, the situation could be repeated. With a virtually unknown person facing a giant like UEFA, which could be forced to abandon its immobility and adapt to the European legal framework and that of its member federations," adds the same source.

Indeed, following the so-called Bosman case, named after the Belgian footballer who sued RFC Liège, his federation, and UEFA before the Court of Justice of the European Union for restricting his freedom of action as an EU citizen at the end of his contract with his club, UEFA was forced to change several of its rules to comply with European legislation.

The ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union

The CJEU ruling of December 15, 1995, made it very clear: "Rules adopted by sports associations cannot be considered necessary to guarantee the exercise of that freedom [free movement of workers] by those associations, clubs, or players, or as an unavoidable consequence of that freedom." This should now be applied to coaches.

"Like footballers in their day, coaches are subject to rules that violate legal principles such as labor law."

"Coaches are at a similar crossroads to the one footballers faced at the time . Subject to regulations that violate fundamental principles of law, such as labor law. And on top of that, they're applied retroactively, something never seen before," our expert comments. He concludes that "once again, and many times, football faces the dilemma of choosing between its own regulations or the common legal system. And it may be that, as happened with the Bosman case, this class action initiated by eleven Spanish coaches will end up twisting UEFA's arm and tip the balance in favor of rights."

As Jorge Valdano wrote, "coaches are subject, like no one else, to the uncomfortable ups and downs of success and failure, and obliged, more than anyone, to maintain sensible behavior." And this is precisely what this group of coaches intends to do with the creation of a union to defend their interests and take the necessary steps in the pursuit of their own Bosman Law . With the necessary reflection on how to do things, but at the same time with the determination and strength that a united group would provide. A rebellion on the benches that ends with a before and after in their fragile and unstable situation.