Bosman says his case paved way for Leicester success

By Kevin Azzopardi VALLETTA, (Reuters) - Jean-Marc Bosman believes Leicester City's astonishing Premier League success is a consequence of the 1995 ruling in his favour that paved the way for the free movement of players in the European Union. Hailing the new English champions as a "breath of fresh air", the Belgian told the Times of Malta that his case helped level the playing field for unheralded clubs. "Leicester City winning the English title is a very good sign," said Bosman who was making a guest appearance at the Malta Football Players' Association (MFPA) awards. "FIFA and UEFA have created systems where they have accumulated money at the top, systems like the Champions League, but the Bosman ruling was about freeing up people, making things a bit more even. "I like to see things where we have a level playing field despite all the obstacles." In the so-called Bosman ruling, the European Court of Justice judged that players were free to leave their clubs without a fee being paid once their contracts had ended. Bosman successfully challenged the decision of his club RFC Liege to impede him from joining Dunkerque at the end of his contract in 1990. The Belgian lauded Leicester's management team for their astute signings but said they would probably have struggled to build a title-winning squad under the old system. "I’m very happy for Leicester, really great news, but without the Bosman ruling they wouldn’t have been able to do what they did," said Bosman. "It was very smart management by Leicester City, they were very clever in how they brought their team together. It shows that money isn’t everything." (Editing by Alan Baldwin)