Rogue Football Agents Could Further Ruin Fifa’s Reputation

Rogue Football Agents Could Further Ruin Fifa’s Reputation

Rogue Football Agents Could Ruin Fifa’s Reputation

In an interesting artile on footall agents (now football intermediaries) by the Telegraph this very question was considered.  On April 1 2015, football agents became football intermediaires.  The inner workings of modern football changed, when the industry’s door was blown open to newly registered football agents, with little to no knowledge of market rates, or the ins and outs of player contracts.  How can you expect an inexperienced unqualified 'football intermediary' dealing with large sums of money and offering advice to professional football players?

Would you let anyone operate on you if a person off the street paid the BMA £500 and let lose?  The same principals apply to FIFA and FA where virtually anyone can become a football intermediary.

Fifa’s deregulation wiped away the usual route agents had to take to become licensed. For the past 12 months, those wishing to represent players have not had to pass Fifa’s notoriously ruthless exam. Now, anyone can become registered, provided they have £500.00 and a clean criminal record.  They do not require insurance or any knowledge of contractual law.

In one year since the changes, the number of ‘’intermediaries’’ registered with the FA has risen from 518 to 1,516.  

At elite levels, the changes have had little impact: for top agents such as Jonathan Barnett, (Gareth Bale), and Jorge Mendes, (Cristiano Ronaldo), it has been business as usual, as big clubs and players carry on dealing with people they know and trust.

However, there have been serious consequences for vulnerable footballers at the lower end of the game – these new ‘’intermediaries’’ are not sufficiently qualified to act in young players best interests. That can damage their futures.

THIS IS A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR FOOTBALLERS OUTSIDE THE TOP CLUBS - CHOOSING THE WRONG AGENT COULD HAVE A SERIOUSLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR CAREER

This football agent blog was written by Jake Maginn, 16 years old.