Governing Bodies
Football agents move forward with their lawsuit against FIFA
This Monday the new FIFA Agents Regulations came into force which, however, will not begin to be applied until next October 1, after this stipulated transition period.
However, the representatives have not said their last word and are filing several class action lawsuits over what they consider to be clearly illegal: the controversial cap on agent commissions and the failure to serve all parties involved in an operation or a buyer and seller club in the same transaction.
In fact, this measure fully affects the footballers themselves, since the rule benefits them in some cases (such as paying their agent 3% instead of 10%), but seriously harms them in others, such as the fact that that the footballer will no longer be able to delegate to his club to pay the agent, he will also have to pay the VAT on the services or the payment to the Treasury cannot be deducted.
Another risk for footballers is that from now on they will receive many offers to renew their contracts before the rule comes into force on October 1 to avoid the new conditions set by FIFA. By endowing the soccer player with all contractual responsibility with his agent, it is also probable that he will have to pay for other services that his representative offered him before. On the other hand, the player will now be more protected by FIFA than by ordinary justice, since the lawsuits will be decided by a court of the highest body in world football.
For the footballer, however, there are many advantages, such as providing agents with greater training and transparency. One of the great challenges of the Clearing House is to reduce money laundering and all payments between clubs, players and agents will always be made through this body.
The footballer acts now if he so wishes in his own name and right. It will be easier for him to break a contract due to some negligence of his agent than by signing a new contract or transfer. In addition, the automatic or tacit extensions of the contracts are no longer valid. Agents will be prohibited from making payments to relatives of the players, something that had become a common practice, also by the clubs, which will not be able to take advantage of this route either.
The agents, the big losers
The losers are clearly the agents who are going to see their profits diminished considerably and that is why they have decided to continue with their class action lawsuit. For a salary of more than 200,000 euros, the commission for the agent is 3% of the player’s salary, the same percentage if he represents the buying club, 6% if he represents both and 10% if he negotiates on behalf of the selling club. Given that at most the footballer and the buying club can be represented at the same time, the agents will get a maximum of 10% of the operation with the third option. With some nuances, the most important agents in the world support this demand because they all agree that capping commissions is illegal in the free market of the European Union.
FIFA has unsuccessfully sought the support of agents before approving the rule. Also from UEFA and the ECA (European Club Association) but after Infantino announced the new Club World Cup without prior notice, these two organizations have left only the highest body in world football in the face of the upcoming litigation.
-Marca
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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