Russian, EU players have same rights - EU court

Russian footballers in the European Union should be treated the same way as EU players, the EU's top court ruled yesterday. The European Court of Justice said the Spanish FA's restriction on the number of matches Russian footballer Igor Simutenkov could play for his club team Tenerife amounted to discrimination.

The Spanish FA sets a quota for the number of footballers from outside the EU who can be fielded in matches and Simutenkov had been included in this group.

The Luxembourg-based court said Simutenkov should enjoy the same rights as his EU team-mates due to a partnership agreement between the EU and the Russian Federation.

"That agreement lays down in clear a prohibition precluding any Member State from discriminating, on grounds of nationality, against Russians," the court said.