FIFA Two
The FIFA Two refers to Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly, two Irish international football players who were prevented from playing for Cork City as they had already played for two other clubs in the 2006-07 period. After lobbying from Ireland's football governing body, the Football Association of Ireland, FIFA ultimately changed its transfer regulations in January 2008. The problem. On 2 April 2007, FIFA informed Cork City that they would not allow two players, Irish internationals Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly, to play for the club. FIFA ruled that the players had already played for two  other clubs in the previous 12 months, and so decreed that neither player could play until July 2007. Cork City had signed contracts with these two players, and so the options open to them were either to keep paying the players even though they cannot play, or cancel the contracts. The players. Both Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly have represented the Republic of Ireland at senior international level. Gareth Farrelly has played at the highest level in England, in the Premier League, with Aston Villa, Everton and Bolton Wanderers. Farrelly joined Bohemians in late August 2004 as player-manager , and left the position on 30 August 2006. He subsequently joined English side Blackpool on a short-term contract, which expired in February 2007. Colin Healy has played with Celtic and Sunderland, where he had the extreme misfortune to break his leg on two occasions. On 10 August 2006, Healy signed a one-year contract with Barnsley. After making 10 appearances for Barnsley, he had his contract cancelled by mutual consent. During this period, he also played on loan with Bradford City. The rule. According to the then-current FIFA Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players, Chapter III : Registration of Players, Article 5.3 stated: The law. It was possible that the FIFA regulations at that time could conflict with certain provisions of European Community law, or, at the very least, an arguable case could be made that such a conflict existed. Article 39EC states: a) to accept offers of employment actually made; b) to move freely within the territory of Member States for this purpose; c) to stay in a Member State for the purpose of employment in accordance with the provisions governing the employment of nationals of that State laid down by law, regulation or administrative action ; d) to remain in the territory of a Member State after having been employed in that State, subject to conditions which shall be embodied in implementing regulations to be drawn up by the Commission Article 40 b EC states: The Council shall, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 (which refers to EC procedures for the adoption of Acts) and after consulting the Economic and Social Committee, issue directives or make regulations setting out the measures required to bring about freedom of movement for workers, as defined in Article 39, in particular: b) by abolishing those  administrative procedures and practices and those qualifying periods in respect of eligibility for available employment, whether resulting from national legislation or from agreements previously concluded between Member States, the maintenance of which would form an obstacle to liberalisation of the movement of workers; Article 43EC states: Within the framework of the provisions set out below, restrictions on the freedom of establishment of nationals of a Member State in the territory of another Member State shall be prohibited. Such prohibition shall also apply to restrictions on the setting-up of agencies, branches or subsidiaries by nationals of any Member State established  in the territory of any Member State. Freedom of establishment shall include the right to take up and pursue activities as self-employed persons and to set up and manage undertakings, in particular companies or firms within the meaning of the second paragraph of Article 48, under the conditions laid down for its own nationals by the law of the country where such establishment is effected, subject to the provisions of the chapter relating to capital. There are also various Directives which govern Freedom of Movement of People. The solution. FIFA added the following language to Article 5.3: FIFA Two