Doctoral Candidate 4 (DC 4) Name: Sahra Simay Günalp
Email Address: [email protected]
Personal Information: Sahra Simay Günalp completed her LL.B. at Istanbul Kadir Has University in 2016. She acquired her license to practice law in 2018 and subsequently served as a legal counsel at an Istanbul-based law firm for over three years. During this time, she advised and consulted international companies, Turkey-based sports clubs, and individuals, including athletes. Sahra represented athletes and sports clubs before national and international sports governing bodies, as well as the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In 2022, she pursued her second LL.M. in International Business Law with a Sports Law specialization at the University of Lausanne in order to complement her legal expertise. During her second LL.M., Sahra completed an internship at a Geneva-based NGO specializing in sport integrity issues related to the migration of youth pursuing careers in sports. Subsequently, she worked at a Swiss-based company as a Contract Administrator. In 2023, she submitted a thesis entitled ‘A Critical Examination of FIFA RSTP Article 19(2)(b) in Safeguarding Minors in Football within the Context of European Union Law and Human Rights.’
In 2024, Sahra Simay commenced her role as a PhD Researcher at the Institute for Labour Law at KU Leuven, as part of the interdisciplinary group iCERIS and DAiSI. Her research focuses on the legal dimension of labour market integrity in football, aiming to clarify the main characteristics and legal principles governing the labor market of football players and their clubs. The governance will be explored in the context of both public regulations, such as labour and employment laws and EU Law, as well as football-specific regulations, including those set forth by FIFA. Suggestions and guidelines will be formulated to enhance the integrity of the labour market in professional football, addressing public policy considerations, including EU Law. This will involve promoting compliance, sustainability and recognizing the specific characteristic of football.
In 2018, she pursued an LL.M. in Human Rights Law at Istanbul Bilgi University. As part of an exchange program, she studied for a year at the University of Bern. In 2022, Sahra submitted a thesis entitled ‘Evaluation of Gender-Based Eligibility Rules for Competing in the Women’s Category in Elite Sports in the Light of International Court Decisions.’
Home University: KU Leuven
Planned Secondments:
(1) Host University: NSSS
(2) Industrial Partner: FIFA
Supervisors: Prof Dr Frank Hendrickx, KUL; Prof Dr Sigmund Loland, NSSS, Prof Dr Camilla Knight, SWAN
Project Description: To determine how employment laws (public regulation) and football law (private regulation) can/do coexist; to advance a regulatory model which respects the specificity of the football labour market, fairness and integrity, including compliance (the rule of law).