A football game is a service and the clubs that are organizing football matches are providing recreational services. International trade rules may apply when the players on the pitch come from different countries, when a club is foreign-owned, when matches are broadcast internationally or when fans travel abroad to watch their favourite teams play. In this episode of the "Trade Goals" podcast,  Markus Jelitto and Antonia Carzaniga explore how the WTO’s Services Agreement (the GATS) applies to the beautiful game.

We talked to:

Philippe Senderos, Sporting Director of Servette FC, Geneva

Raffaele Poli, Head of the Football Observatory at the International Centre for Sports Studies(CIES) in Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Carol Etter, a Swiss Attorney-At-Law specialised in sports law. Carol is also a board member of FC Basel

José Francisco Manssur, a Brazilian lawyer specialized in sports law

Fernando Roitman, Founder of CIES Sports Intelligence at the International Centre of Sport Studies (CIES) in Neuchâtel

Learn more about the WTO's Services Agreement (GATS):

The General Agreement on Trade in Services explained

WTO video about the GATS:

"Let's Talk Services Trade"

Statistical analysis of the football players’ labour market, the technical analysis of player performance and the scientific estimation of transfer values:

The Football Observatory

Facts and figures about global football:

FIFA Professional Football Report 2019

Deloitte Football Money League profiles the relative financial performance of the highest revenue generating clubs in world football:

Deloitte Football Money League 2022 | Deloitte UK" 

More about foreign investment in Brazilian football clubs:

Football corporations in Brazil (SAF): new perspectives for foreign investment in Brazilian football teams | International Bar Association (ibanet.org)