Safeguarding Footballers’ Rights in European AI and Biometric Regulation

Abstract

The article analyses the legal impact of the use of digital technologies, electronic tracking systems and artificial intelligence (AI) in professional football, with a particular focus on the protection of players’ rights. These innovations have transformed sports performance and tactical management, but they also pose significant legal challenges, particularly in terms of personal data protection. The study focuses on the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the new AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), assessing their effectiveness in safeguarding the privacy, identity and autonomy of footballers against the use of technologies such as tracking systems, workload monitoring platforms and biometric technologies. It also examines specific FIFA regulations and devotes a section to players’ rights in relation to AI systems.