Webster's left Hearts for Wigan in May 2006, having spent three years of a four-year contract with Hearts. He was the first player to use article 17 of Fifa's transfer regulations.
Fifa awarded Hearts £625,000 but the Hearts wanted £4.6m and challenged Fifa's at CAS. The court said compensation was £150,000, which was the value of the remaining term of his contract.
Tony Higgins of Fifpro, the European players' union said, "The Webster case allows players, after a set period of time and if they so wish, to decide who their future employer will be. We now have a degree of certainty about what the value in question will be. Clubs have to re-evaluate their strategies in dealing with players on long-term contracts. If they are on four- or five-year contracts and fall into the relevant age bracket, clubs may now have to renegotiate after two years.
"It is a bit like Bosman, there will be worried clubs and clubs saying that this will ruin the game but after a period of time people will understand what their strategy will be and take due consideration. Once the clubs redefine their thinking, they will cope with this."
So, clubs and players, can terminate contracts and player contracts now depreciate over a maximum of three years for players under 28.
It means for example that the much vaunted 8 year contract signed by Cesc Fabregas has just become a 3 year contract. That doesn't mean Cesc will leave after 3 years - it just means that if we wanted to get up and wander off, he could do. Three years is it. Nothing beyond.
Quite a change.