THE European Commission angrily rejected fresh accusations by UEFA that the Bosman ruling scrapping its transfer system and foreign player limits had plunged soccer into chaos.

"The judgment did not provide for a fair transitional period, it disregards sporting traditions, destroys national structures of sport and endangers the future of national football associations and national teams," UEFA secretary general Gerhard Aigner said.

But European competition commissioner Karel Van Miert countered by saying: "This is absolutely unfair, unjust and incorrect."

The European Court of Justice ruled last December that UEFA's transfer system and limits on the number of foreign EU players appearing in EU teams contravened EU laws.

UEFA, European soccer's governing body, accepted the ruling earlier this month after it was threatened with hefty fines.

"It leaves the football authorities defenceless against abuses and distortion of competitions. Big industrial (groups) and private TV stations have already taken control over a number of clubs. The agents are the kings today," Aigner told a public hearing on the Bosman judgment in the European Parliament.

"It causes a two class society in football on the European continent and causes discrimination against football players from non EU countries," he said.

Van Miert said the Commission would help work out a transitional period for such domestic transfers, an issue not ruled upon by the Court of Justice.

"Since the court did not abolish the national system as such the Commission has some leeway for accepting a transitional period.

"But a transitional period would be acceptable only if national leagues respected the judgment and were firmly committed to phasing out the transfer system," said Van Miert, who noted that national transfer systems could also be challenged by players before their national courts.

He also advocated a system of solidarity between big and smaller clubs, using part of the lucrative revenue from television broadcasting rights of soccer matches so that poorer clubs could still afford youth teams.