The CAS ruled that they have no jurisdiction in the case, because PL rules make no mention of them, and in fact state that the decision of the PL appeal board should be final (Cole's fine had already been reduced from £100,000 by that board). The CAS statement says, "The fact that the Fifa statutes do allow appeals to the CAS against decisions rendered by national federations or leagues is not sufficient to establish the jurisdiction of the CAS if there is no direct reference to CAS arbitration in the regulations of the body whose decision is being appealed against."

Everyone in football, except the players, will be please with this. If Cole gets the rules changed then it could throw the transfer system into chaos and give players complete freedom to move. But this may not be the end of the story.

Cole, along with his advisors, is now considering his options, and a further appeal to a civil or European court is now possible. Earlier statements from his team had suggested that they'll take it as far as they can.