FIFA to ban agents representing player and club in same deal

Many high-profile agents are angered by the plans

FIFA is planning to prevent agents being able to represent both a club and a player when the player in question earns more than $200,000 a year. Confirming the news to The Times, the clamp down on dual representation has caused anger amongst agents all around Europe who are affected by the announcement, with many expected to lose millions of pounds as a result. One of the leagues most affected would be the Premier League, with one major example being the signing of Paul Pogba for Manchester United, in which agent Mino Raiola represented all three parties involved in the deal, making £41 million for himself as part of the transfer. The news has been met with anger from several agencies who are now planning to work together and fight the proposal in court. Gareth Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett - who is the founder of the agency The Stellar Group' - told the Times about the plans the agencies have to fight the battle. He said: “We will see them in the courts all around Europe. “If they want to sit down and talk to us properly then we are happy to do that. They know nothing about what agents do and they are writing a set of rules without proper consultation. How can that be correct? Which other industry would let that happen." Barnett then went on to defend the concept of dual representation and that the priority of the agent is their player's welfare. “It’s for separate work," Barnett said. "An agent gets paid to look after a player, and if he does work for a club some of the payment is working for that. The most important thing is the player has to be 100% aware of it and that’s what we do. The player knows our commission and if they are happy with that we do the deals.” A similar dispute has been ongoing in the Rugby Premiership after clubs agreed to stop paying agents' fees on behalf of the players, which has seen player recruitment and contract negotiations put on hold until a solution is found. Related links:

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