Best free transfer XI since Bosman Ruling
Jean-Marc Bosman was a RFC Liege football player that was prevented to join the French side Dunkerque, despite his contract with the Belgian First Division Club had expired in 1990.
On 15 December 1995, the European Court of Justice ruled that the football transfer system placed restrictions on free movement of workers in EU which was allowed by Article 39 of the EC Treaty.
Bosman and all the EU football players were given the right to join a new club for free at the end of their contracts as well as the chance of signing a pre-contract agreement with any other side, but only from six months before the end of the agreement with their previous club.
In addition, quotas to restrict the number of EU players on each team were removed.
Calciomercato.com picked the Best Free Transfer XI since the Bosman ruling, giving priority to players with the highest value in the transfer market at the time of their move.
That’s why you won’t find in the team the likes of Esteban Cambiasso or Paul Pogba, while Edwin Vand Der Sar or Christoph Metzelder are included in the Best Free Transfer XI, despite they really didn’t have an impact after signing with Juventus and Real Madrid respectively.
GK: Edwin van der Sar (From Ajax to Juventus in 1999).
RB: Cafu (from Roma to Milan in 2003).
CB: Christoph Metzelder (from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in 2007).
CB: Sol Campbell (from Tottenham to Arsenal in 2001).
LB: Cocu (from PSV Eindhoven to Barcelona in 1998).
RW: Luis Enrique (from Real Madrid to Barcelona in 1996).
CM: Andrea Pirlo (from Milan to Juventus in 2011).
CM: Michael Ballack (from Bayern Monaco to Chelsea in 2006).
LF: Steve McManaman (from Liverpool to Real Madrid in 1999). FW: Gianluca Vialli (from Juventus to Chelsea in 1996).
FW: Robert Lewandowski (from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Monaco in 2014).
