Contractual stability

What to focus on while you read

Respect of contract, just cause, sporting just cause, and consequences of termination

Articles 13–17 protect contractual stability: contracts must be respected, termination needs just cause (including sporting just cause and overdue-payables pathways), and unjustified breach triggers compensation and sporting sanctions.

Key points

• A contract between a professional and a club may only be terminated on expiry or by mutual agreement — or for just cause.
• Article 14bis addresses termination for overdue payables under its specific notice and cure conditions.
• Sporting just cause (Article 15) is a narrow, appearance-based pathway — not a general dissatisfaction exit.
• Article 17 sets compensation and sporting-sanction consequences when a contract is terminated without just cause.
• Inducing breach and joint liability of a new club are classic Article 17 exam angles.

Exam traps

• Confusing ordinary just cause with sporting just cause thresholds.
• Skipping Article 14bis notice/cure steps and treating any late payment as immediate just cause.
• Assuming compensation can always be assigned freely to a third party.

Unit outline

1. Article 13: Respect of contract

2. Article 14: Terminating a contract with just cause

3. Article 14bis: Terminating a contract for outstanding salaries

4. Article 15: Terminating a contract with sporting just cause

5. Article 16: Restriction on terminating a contract during the competition period

6. Article 17: Consequences of terminating a contract without just cause