This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. Jürgen Mittag Richard Parrish Vanja Smokvina Johan Lindholm Andrea Cattaneo Carmen Perez-Gonzalez Football Agents Industry Football Governance in the European Promoting and Supporting Good Promoting and Supporting Good Governance in the European Football Agents Industry Agents Football European the in Governance Good Supporting and Promoting — al. et Parrish This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. ISBN 978-953-8034-26-8 European Football Agents Industry European Football Promoting and Supporting Good Governance in the ?0-='(,Q% >('^/,,'(%<)*=$(5%>$((),=%RK58/%d)33%Y:)./(,)-`U%YeS%% W("%?:5(/$%@$--$:/'%RK58/%d)33%Y:)./(,)-`U%YeS%% >('^/,,'(%A'=$:%B):5='3+%RY:)./(,)-`%'^%Y+/fU%G[/5/:S%% >('^/,,'(%AC(8/:%D)--$8%RE/(+$:%G2'(-%Y:)./(,)-`U%E/(+$:`S%% >('^/,,'(%@$(+/:%>/(/49E':4$3/4%RY:)./(,)5$5%@$(3',%JJJ%5/%D$5()5U%G2$):S%% ?,,),-$:-%>('^/,,'(%F$:7$%G+'&.):$%RY:)./(,)-`%'^%<)7/&$U%I$*03-`%'^%B$[U%@('$-)$S% % % !"#$%&'()*"$+,-&".&/(0($%&12345&('-6%,-&78%9),#&123:;% >063),=/5%6`Q%% K0('2/$:%@'++),,)':%</2(/,/:-$-)':%):%@('$-)$% Y3)*$%?080,-$%@/,$(*$%T% d<%9%!N%NNN%g$8(/6% @('$-)$% % Y:)./(,)-`%'^%<)7/&$U%I$*03-`%'^%B$[! d$=3)h%XU%! d<%9%V!%NNN%<)7/&$% @('$-)$! % % % !"#$%&'()&*+)(,+-)./)(% % % % % M=),%2('7/*-%=$,%6//:%^0:5/5%[)-=%,022'(-%^('+%-=/%K0('2/$:%@'++),,)':"%M=),%2063)*$-)':%(/^3/*-,% -=/%.)/[,%':3`%'^%-=/%$0-='(,U%$:5%-=/%@'++),,)':%*$::'-%6/%=/35%(/,2':,)63/%^'(%$:`%0,/%[=)*=%+$`% 6/%+$5/%'^%-=/%):^'(+$-)':%*':-$):/5%-=/(/):"% % % % i%HN!O"%?0-='(,%$,%):5)*$-/5%):%-=),%6''&"%@'2`):8%),%2/(+)--/5%':3`%^'(%:':9*'++/(*)$3%20(2',/,% 2('.)5/5%-=$-%-=/%,'0(*/%),%*)-/5"%?0-='(,%$(/%(/,2':,)63/%^'(%-=/%(/2'(-%'(%2$(-%'^%-=/%(/2'(-%$:5%-=/% 2063),=/(%$,,0+/,%:'%3)$6)3)-`%^'(%$:`%0,/%'^%-=/%*':-/:-,%'(%.)'3$-)':,%'^%-=)(5%2$(-`%()8=-,"%M=),%6''&% ),% 2063),=/5% [)-=):% -=/% % K($,+0,% jU% G2'(-% 9% @'33$6'($-)./% >$(-:/(,=)2,% >('7/*-% _<#9=9%".0& 6.-& >(''9#%".0&?99-&?9@,#.6.8,&".&%+,&A(#9',6.&!99%)6**&/0,.%$&B.-($%#Ca%#'"%%VONVXH9K>>9!9HN!\9!9 Ye9G>L9G@>U% ):% -=/% K:83),=% 3$:80$8/% $:5% $.$)3$63/% ^'(% 5'[:3'$5):8% $-% -=/% >('7/*-% [/6,)-/% [[["/=0"$*"0&k/0^''-6$33"% This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. Promoting and Supporting Good Governance in the European Football Agents Industry FINAL REPORT Authors Professor Richard Parrish (Edge Hill University, UK) Dr Andrea Cattaneo (Edge Hill University, UK) Professor Johan Lindholm (University of Umeå, Sweden) Professor Jürgen Mittag (German Sport University, Germany) Professor Carmen Perez-Gonzalez (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain) Assistant Professor Vanja Smokvina (University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law, Croatia) This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Contents 1. Preface 2. 2. Introduction 3. 3. Intermediaries: The EU Dimension 9. 4. The Regulation of Football Agents: Historical Background 28. 5. The 2015 Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (RWWI) 37. 6. 2015 RWWI: Summary of Key Findings and Reform Agenda 43. 7. Professional Standards: Licensing and Qualification 56. 8. Remuneration and Representation Restrictions 71. 9. Working with Minors 95. 10. Dispute Resolution and Sanctions 102. 11. Conclusions 113. 12. Bibliography 131. 13. Appendix I: List of National Experts 138. 14. Appendix II: Stakeholder Survey 139. 1 1. Preface The project, ‘Promoting and Supporting Good Governance in the European Football Agents Industry’ received financial support from the EU’s Erasmus+ Programme (Collaborative Partnerships). The project commenced in January 2018 and concluded in December 2019. We are grateful for the support provided by the Erasmus+ Programme. The purpose of this Final Report is to present findings regarding the operation of the 2015 FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (RWWI), particularly in relation to the implementation of the regulations at National Association level across the territory of the EU. In this regard, this Final Report presents a comprehensive picture of how intermediary regulations have historically developed and how the 2015 RWWI have operated across the territory of the EU, encompassing 31 National Associations. Our study supports key private stakeholders and public policymakers by providing evidence- based options and recommendations in terms of future regulatory initiatives in the sector informed by principles of good governance. In that regard, the scheduling of our work was adjusted to complement the work of the FIFA Transfer System Task Force that was established in order to consider reforming the RWWI. Therefore, this Final Report is, in large measure, an aggregated account of our Interim Report and Thematic Conclusions published throughout the duration of the project. The content of this Report has been informed by primary research undertaken by the research team, a national expert questionnaire, a stakeholder survey and discussions held in a series of stakeholder workshops held throughout Europe, known as Multiple Sports Events – MSEs. In order to improve the readability of this Report, we only provide a summary of the content of our National Reports which details the intermediary regulations in the 31 national football associations surveyed. Full copies of these Reports can be consulted at: www.ehu.ac.uk/eufootball We have a large number of people and organisations to thank. They are acknowledged throughout this Report. Specifically, we wish to highlight the co-operation and support of the football stakeholders, namely the global and European governing bodies of football (FIFA and UEFA), the national football associations, the European Football Agents’ Associations (EFAA) and its national affiliates, the European Club Association (ECA) and its national members, the European Leagues and its member leagues, and FIFPro, the world football players’ union and its member associations. We owe gratitude to our national experts for providing details of the National Association intermediary regulations. They are listed in Appendix 1. 2 2. Introduction The project, ‘Promoting and Supporting Good Governance in the European Football Agents Industry’ received financial support from the EU’s Erasmus+ Programme (Collaborative Partnerships). The project commenced in January 2018 and concluded in December 2019. The project is led by Edge Hill University in the UK (represented by Professor Richard Parrish and Dr Andrea Cattaneo) and the project partners are the University of Umeå in Sweden (Professor Johan Lindholm), the German Sport University of Cologne (Professor Jürgen Mittag), the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Professor Carmen Perez-Gonzalez) and the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law in Croatia (Assistant Professor Vanja Smokvina). We are grateful to Maximilian Seltman from the German Sport University for his assistance. The focus of the project is to undertake evidence-based research in order to promote and support good governance in the context of the regulation of football players’ agents (referred to as ‘intermediaries’ in the 2015 FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries - RWWI) in the EU. Our research has informed how private actors (the football stakeholders) and public actors (national and EU level policymakers) approach the issue of players’ agents regulation. By extension, our research will benefit other sports wanting to learn from the experience of football. A football agent is a natural or legal person who, for a fee or free of charge, represents players and/or clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding an employment contract or represents clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding a transfer agreement. One might therefore observe that an agent is merely an intermediary ensuring that the supply and demand for labour within football is met. However, many agents offer related services, such as scouting, managing the career of the player and any other service the parties agree to. Not only can an agent help secure a player or a club a better ‘deal’ in contract or transfer negotiations, particularly if the player is at a disadvantage in terms of equality of negotiating arms with a club, but an agent can also help a player focus on his or her primary task of playing football by assisting with ‘off-the-field’ issues. Agents have been a part of the football industry for many years, but their activity is currently at its height. Two reasons for this are the increase in the international migration of football players following the liberalisation of the European player market following the European Court’s judgment in Bosman1 in 1995 and the decision of FIFA in 2015 to reform the players’ agents regulations, which resulted in an increase in their activity. The work of some agents has attracted criticism. In particular, it has been observed that standards of professionalism within the sector can be poor. In its 2011 ‘Communication on Sport’, the European Commission explained that these concerns tend to be of an ethical and legal nature including financial crime and the exploitation of young players.2 Some 1 Case C-415/93, Union Royale Belge Sociétés de Football Association and others v Bosman and others [1995] ECR I-4921. 2 European Commission (2011) Developing the European Dimension in Sport (the Communication on Sport), COM(2011) final. 3 stakeholders are also concerned