FIFA has informed the biggest agents in football that they need to 'curb the excesses' of the annual transfer market, which could impact the future business of Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and the rest of the Premier League.
As reported by AP News, agent fees from transfers will be capped at 10% of fees under changes approved by the FIFA Council that are due to come into effect from 2021.
However, some of the biggest agents in the world, including Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola and Gareth Bale's representative Jonathan Barnett, have complained that they were not consulted - adding the changes are 'anti-competitive and unlawful'.
FIFA officials responded this week though, saying there was an “extensive consultation process with all the main stakeholders,” including agents, as a well as “robust research.”
FIFA has also told the agents “the cap on fees is just one element” of reforms intended to “protect the integrity of the system and to effect reasonable and reasonable regulation.”
The earnings of agents in football have been widely criticised for a while, with Raiola earning €27m from Juventus as part of the €105m transfer of Pogba to Manchester United - and pocketed additional payment from the Red Devils and the France international.
New rules are also due to cap the agent’s fees at 3% of a player’s salary, or 6% when they are also acting for the buying club. Agents would be prohibited from representing both the buying and selling clubs in a transfer.
“Far from being anti-competitive or in any way illegal, the measures proposed by FIFA are moderate, well thought out and reasonable,” FIFA responded to the complaints from agents.
“It is not a question of football being a so-called ‘free market.’ It is more a question of framing responsible and reasonable regulation in order to curb the excesses of the ‘free market’ and, in doing so, protect the interests of football.”
