Our Association is international
Sports is by definition universal, hence so should be the law that governs it.
Football is played worldwide
Through passion and practice, it has built a real social network at both local and international levels. Following the example of famous international football competitions, AIAF aims to create a link between various legal cultures, in a spirit of exchange and sharing.
The independence of lawyers and their professional ethics must serve football in its social dimension.
We value law as much as sport and we think that our ethics as independent lawyers can contribute to the development of football all the while enhancing the respect of fundamental rights.
The Freedom Tower
Your venue to the 12th AIAF Congress.
Located in downtown Miami, the Freedom Tower is a historic landmark with deep cultural and political significance. Built in 1925 as the headquarters for the Miami Daily News, it served as a processing center for Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro regime, earning it the nickname “Ellis Island of the South.”
Architecturally, the tower was inspired by the Giralda bell tower in Sevilla, Spain. Standing at 78 meters (256 feet), its golden cupola and ornate details make it one of the city’s most recognizable structures.
Today, the Freedom Tower is part of Miami Dade College, where the 12ᵗʰ AIAF Congress will take place.
⚠️ Please note: The round-tables and main sessions will be held at Miami Dade College (300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33132) – just steps away from the Freedom Tower. The Congress lunch will be served within the Freedom Tower, offering participants the opportunity to enjoy this iconic venue during the event.
The Freedom Tower continues to serve as a museum and cultural center, symbolizing freedom, hope, and the enduring spirit of immigrants.
Miami
Miami, the vibrant coastal city in southeastern Florida, known for its stunning beaches, Art Deco architecture, and diverse cultural scene will welcome the 12th AIAF Congress, in partnership with FIFA. Often called “The Magic City” due to its rapid growth in the early 20th century, Miami is renowned for its year-round sunshine, turquoise waters, and iconic beaches, especially the famous South Beach.
The city is a global hub for finance, commerce, arts, and international trade, with a strong Latin American and Caribbean influence that shapes its language, cuisine, music, and cultural traditions. The city’s art and design scene flourishes in places like the Wynwood Arts District, home to world-famous street murals and galleries.
With its international airport, bustling port (one of the busiest cruise ports in the world), and diverse population, Miami serves as a gateway between North America, Latin America, and beyond. It’s a city of contrasts—where luxury meets laid-back beach life, and tradition meets innovation—making it a truly unique and exciting place to explore.
The Freedom Tower
Your venue for the 12th AIAF Congress.
Located in downtown Miami, the Freedom Tower is a historic landmark with deep cultural and political significance. Built in 1925 as the headquarters for the Miami Daily News, it served as a processing center for Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro regime, earning it the nickname “Ellis Island of the South.”
Architecturally, the tower was inspired by the Giralda bell tower in Sevilla, Spain. Standing at 78 meters, its golden cupola and ornate details make it one of the city’s most recognizable structures.
Today, the Freedom Tower is part of Miami Dade College, where the 12ᵗʰ AIAF Congress will take place.
⚠️ Please note: The round-tables and main sessions will be held at Miami Dade College (300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33132) – just steps away from the Freedom Tower. The Congress lunch will be served within the Freedom Tower, offering participants the opportunity to enjoy this iconic venue during the event.
The Freedom Tower continues to serve as a museum and cultural center, symbolizing freedom, hope, and the enduring spirit of immigrants.
Miami
Miami, the vibrant coastal city in southeastern Florida, known for its stunning beaches, Art Deco architecture and diverse cultural scene, will welcome the 12th AIAF Congress, in partnership with FIFA, Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo and Global Sports Advocates. Often called “The Magic City” due to its rapid growth in the early 20th century, Miami is renowned for its year-round sunshine, turquoise waters and iconic beaches, especially the famous South Beach.
The city is a global hub for finance, commerce, arts and international trade, with a strong Latin American and Caribbean influence that shapes its language, cuisine, music and cultural traditions. The city’s art and design scene flourishes in places like the Wynwood Arts District, home to world-famous street murals and galleries.
With its international airport, bustling port (one of the busiest cruise ports in the world) and diverse population, Miami serves as a gateway between North America, Latin America and beyond. It’s a city of contrasts – where luxury meets laid-back beach life and tradition meets innovation – making it a truly unique and exciting place to explore.
Programme
12th AIAF Congress – Miami 2025
The New Vice: Rewriting Football Law
DAY 01 > 6 November 2025
8:30 - 9:00
Registration & Welcome Coffee
9:00 - 9:15
Welcome Speeches
9:15 - 10:30
Panel 1
Training Compensation & Solidarity Contribution: Legal Challenges and Open Questions
FIFA’s mechanisms for training compensation and solidarity contribution aim to reward clubs for developing young players. However, their application continues to raise legal uncertainties and practical difficulties. Through a case-based approach, this session will examine recent disputes, recurring challenges in international transfers and potential avenues for reform.
Moderator:
Luis Torres Montero, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Speakers:
César Chaparro Yedro, Head of Player Registration & Transfer Data, FIFA
Luiz Fernando Pimenta Ribeiro, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Abdallah Shehata, Lawyer & AIAF Member, Head of Legal, Al Ahly FC
10:30 - 11:45
Panel 2
Regulating MCOs: A Necessary Step? And How to Do It?
The rapid rise of Multi-Club Ownership offers clear financial advantages but raises concerns over sporting integrity, conflicts of interest, and financial regulations. Lawyers must guide clients in structuring MCOs to comply with UEFA and FIFA rules, especially regarding restrictions on clubs competing in the same European competitions.
Moderator:
Pedro Macieirinha, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Speakers:
Emilio Garcia Silvero, FIFA Chief Legal and Compliance Officer
Monserrat Jiménez Granda, Deputy General Secretary & Legal Director, CONMEBOL
Varun Desai, VP Finance & Accounting, Blue Crow Sports Group
Andrea Bozza, Lawyer & AIAF Member
11:45 - 12:15
Coffee break
12:15 - 13:15
Panel 3
Tax Issues in Football
Taxation remains a complex and evolving issue in professional football, with increasing scrutiny from authorities across jurisdictions. This session will address key areas such as tax residence and incentive regimes for players, the use of image rights companies, the treatment of agent fees, and the tax implications of buyout clauses. Particular attention will be given to planning strategies and recent regulatory trends.
Speakers:
Jacques Messeca, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Francisco Salinas Mezquita, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Giorgio Vaselli, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Juan Manuel Lopez Ruiz, Lawyer & AIAF Member
13:15 - 14:30
Networking Lunch at the Freedom Tower
14:30 - 15:45
Panel 4
Soccer Meets Football: What the U.S. Model Can Offer the Global Game
U.S. Soccer has developed under a markedly different legal and economic logic than the global football tradition. Built around a closed-league system, franchise rights, centralised contracts, salary controls and league-driven governance, Major League Soccer reflects a business-first approach to professional sport. This session will examine the regulatory foundations of the U.S. model – and explore what global football can (or should) take from it.
Moderator:
Enric Ripoll González, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Speakers:
Christina LaBrie, Senior Vice President of Player Relations, MLS
Agustín Montes de Oca, Team Lead Regulatory Applications, FIFA
Ryan Lipes, Lawyer, Global Sports Advocates
15:45 - 16:15
Coffee break
16:15 - 17:30
Panel 5
Commercial Practices in US Sports: Insights for the Football Industry
US sports leagues have developed distinctive commercial strategies involving centralised media rights, NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) structures, athlete brand exploitation, and data monetisation. This session will explore selected U.S. legal and business practices with growing international resonance, and assess how these mechanisms may inform, inspire or challenge the commercial evolution of professional football in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Moderator:
Carol Couse, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Speakers:
Brandon Briggs, Vice President, Legal & Human Resources, Inter Miami CF
Leonardo Maximo, Partner, Roc Nations Sports International Brazil
Andrew Visnovsky, Lawyer, AIAF Member
DAY 02 > 7 November 2025
8:45 - 9:30
Welcome Coffee
9:30 - 10:45
Panel 6
Football Agents: Latest Developments and Challenges
The regulation of football agents is at the heart of a global legal standoff, with multiple proceedings pending before courts and tribunals. This session will examine the current legal landscape, the impact of ongoing challenges to FIFA’s regulatory framework and the possible directions for reform that may reshape the future of transfers and player representation.
Moderator:
Hugo Álvez Cuñetti, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Speakers:
Jan Kleiner, Director of Football Regulatory, FIFA
Penny Konitsioti Rizou, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Vitor Butruce, Lawyer & AIAF Member, Head of Legal
John Shea, Lawyer & AIAF Member
10:45 - 11:15
Coffee break
11:15 - 12:45
Panel 7
From Diarra to the New Article 17: Regulatory Reform and Collective Dialogue
This session will revisit the Lassana Diarra case as a key turning point in the legal debate surrounding contract termination, just cause, and transfer-related restrictions. It will examine how the CJEU’s findings on the lawfulness of elements FIFA’s regulatory framework led to the ongoing class action in the Netherlands and Diarra’s claim for substantial compensation. We will address how these developments relate to FIFA’s anticipated further reform of Article 17 of the RSTP. Participants will reflect on whether the future of contractual stability should lie in unilateral regulation, negotiated agreements, or a hybrid model, and what role EU legal principles and player-led collective action may continue to play in driving structural reform.
Moderator:
João Nogueira da Rocha, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Speakers:
Jan Kleiner, Director of Football Regulatory, FIFA
Alexandra Gomez Bruinewoud, Legal Director, FIFPRO
Melanie Schärer, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Marcelo Amoretty Souza, Lawyer & AIAF Member
12:45 - 14:00
Panel 8
A New CAS, Dividing the Law. Just for the EU?
The judgment delivered by the Court of Justice of the European Union in Seraing on 1 August 2025 has triggered renewed scrutiny of the sports arbitration system. This session will assess the implications of the ruling for the legal standing of CAS and the Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT) in the EU context, the role of FIFA’s Football Tribunal and the broader consequences for arbitration autonomy, recognition of awards and the future interaction between national courts and international federations.
Moderator:
Kai Ludwig, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Speakers:
Miguel Liétard Fernandez-Palacios, Director of Litigation, FIFA
Juan de Dios Crespo Pérez, Lawyer & AIAF President
Dennis Koolaard, Lawyer & AIAF Member
Bichara Abidão Neto, Lawyer & AIAF Member
14:00 - 14:15
Closing Remarks
14:15 - 14:45
Quick Lunch
14:45
Visit of the Freedom Tower
Participants are warmly invited to visit the Freedom Tower exhibits, including the first ever U.S. exhibition created in partnership with the FIFA Museum, “Unidad: The World’s Game”.
15:00 - 17:00
AIAF General Assembly (for AIAF Members only)
Information
Visas:
Visitors from eligible countries can apply for a visa through the quick and easy-to-use eVisa platform prior to travel (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/).
Visitors from countries not eligible for the eVisa must apply for a consulate visa in their home country.
For detailed information on the necessary formalities and to check if you are eligible for an eVisa, please visit the United States of America visa information.
Venue:
The conference will take place at Miami Dade College (Wolfson Campus Auditorium).
Address:
300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33132
Lunch will be held in the iconic Freedom Tower.
Registration:
You can register online by clicking here.
Registration rates include attendance to the Conference, two lunches, coffee breaks and a Dinner.
COVID-19:
By registering for the 12th AIAF Congress, you are responsible for informing yourself about the specific health measures in the United States of America, your country of departure or any stop-over countries. There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering the United States of America. AIAF disclaims any responsibility for your health situation or any incident related to it and no refund will be made.
Intended audience:
AIAF Members, counsels and lawyers, representatives of associations or federations, Clubs’ officials, Players’ Agents, companies in the “football business”, sport channels representatives, media specialists and Sport State Authorities.
Scientific Partner
Partners
STAY IN TOUCH
Subscribe to
our Newsletter
Subscribe to our free newsletter to receive news and information about the AIAF.