Adrian Bedoya Gainesville, Fla. Why does MLS tend to let players go on free transfers when their contracts have run out (e.g. Tony Sanneh). Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Bosman Ruling only applies to transactions between teams in Europe. Mike Woitalla: First of all Adrian, let’s revisit the Bosman Ruling, named after Belgian journeyman player Jean Marc Bosman. Bosman played for Belgian club RFC Liege, which refused to allow him to leave for another team even though his contract had expired. Bosman thought that was wrong. Think of it this way: You work at Safeway, quit or get fired, and seek a job at another department store — and Safeway demands compensation (a transfer fee) even though you didn’t have a contract with Safeway. Bosman took his case to the European Court of High Justice. In December 1995, after a five-year legal battle, the Court ruled that it was illegal for clubs within the European Union (EU) to receive transfer fees for players whose contracts had expired. In other words, the EU court created free agency within all its member countries. Furthermore, the European Court established that players from EU nationscould not be considered foreigners when playing in other EU leagues. Now we come to MLS … Tony Sanneh’s contract with MLS had expired when he decided to sign with Hertha Berlin in Germany. If MLS had asked Hertha for a transfer fee, Sanneh could easily have won a suit against MLS, because an American court would see no reason why MLS should receive compensation for a player the league no longer “owns.” In the case of Colorado goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, MLS received a transfer fee from Fulham because Hahnemann was still under contract. That’s why MLS sold him in midseason. Had MLS held on to Hahnemann until the offseason, MLS would have received nothing, because Hahnemann would have been out of contract by then. MLS faces a similar dilemma with Stern John, who has another year left on his contract. If John decides to play one more season in MLS without extending his MLS contract, he could take a European offer at the end of 2000 and MLS would receive nothing. So unless MLS wishes to offer John a lucrative contract to stay in MLS long term, it’s better off selling him now and getting some cash out of the deal. (If you have a question for a Soccer America Magazine editor, click “Q&A with SA Editors” in the left column of the home page under “Interactive.”)