I find it quite amusing that there’s a discrepancy in the FIFA rules regarding player ownership and club ownership. A player can only play for two teams during one football season, according to FIFA rules (PDF), which has caused some problems for a few players who have been loaned out and what-not during the autumn, and then can’t be sold in the January transfer window.

But when it comes to club ownership, these rules are completely non-applicable. Portsmouth are now on their fourth different owner (fourth!) this season, after the buyout of the previous owners’ shares by one of their creditors.

So the Portsmouth players are now theoretically playing for a fourth different company/person that pays their wages, which surely must be in conflict with the above rule?

It seems that there is one rule regarding players (i.e. employees), and another regarding owners (i.e. employers), which to my mind goes against a whole number of laws regarding employment and freedom of movement for workers…