Sports Law 2025

DENMARK Law and Practice Contributed by: Frederik Bruhn, Tim Krarup Nielsen, Robert Jønsson and Rasmus Theis Madsen, DAHL Law Firm

7. Employment 7.1 Sports-Related Employment Contracts Employment Structure in Danish Football Employment relationships between sports organisations and players are to a wide extent regulated by standardised contracts and collec - tive agreements in Denmark. In Danish football, player contracts must be entered into on the basis of the DBU’s standard player contract. The standard contract is deter - mined in the collective agreement between the Danish League and the Players Association, cur - rently the “Football Collective Agreement 2025 – 2030” . It is possible to agree on additional terms which must be attached to the standard and filed with the DBU. Danish football does not operate with salary caps. Instead, wage structures are determined through individual negotiations between clubs and players, subject to the minimum salary requirements determined depending on whether the player is full- or part-time employed. The Danish Salaried Employees Act generally applies to employees having administrative jobs and responsibilities. The Salaried Employees Act provides protection for employees in many aspects, such as mandatory minimum termina - tion periods, unfounded dismissals, etc. 7.2 Employer/Employee Rights Employment Regulation for Players However, this act is not suited to the employ - ment of football players due to the fixed-term nature of player contracts. Nonetheless, it is set out in the current Collective Agreement between the Danish League and the Players’ Association

Appealing Decisions of Sports Governing Bodies Disciplinary decisions issued by Danish federa - tions, such as the DBU or other national govern - ing bodies, are first appealed internally within the sport’s dispute resolution system. The DIF’s Board of Appeal serves as the highest instance in Danish sports governance, reviewing cases related to match-fixing, doping, child protection, and general disciplinary matters. Compliance with EU Trends in Sports Regulation Denmark closely follows the legal trends estab - lished by the ECJ, particularly regarding com - petition law and the balance between sporting autonomy and legal oversight. While self-regu - lation remains the default approach, cases such as multiple-club ownership rules, and competi - tion law challenges illustrate that Danish sports organisations must also comply with EU legal frameworks. Notably, key provisions of FIFA’s new Football Agent Regulations (FFAR) have been suspended worldwide by FIFA, as the latter awaits the ECJ’s ruling on their compatibility with EU competi - tion law. In Denmark, DBU implemented FFAR through Circular No. 125, whereby FFAR and the principles were implemented to also apply to national transactions in Denmark. However, in line with the recommendations from FIFA, the DBU has announced a temporary suspension of the most significant parts of the circular con - cerning football agents.

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