Shame on you uncouth agents!

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

FIFA defines a player intermediary (agent) as 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.

According to the Zurich based football governing body’s website, the organization bears the responsibility to constantly improve the game of football and to safeguard its worldwide integrity. In this context, one of Fifa’s key objectives is to promote and safeguard considerably high ethical standards in the relations between clubs, players and third parties, and thus to live up to the requirements of good governance and financial responsibility principles. More specifically, Fifa considers it essential to protect players and clubs from being involved in unethical and/or illegal practices and circumstances in the context of concluding employment contracts between players and clubs and of concluding transfer agreements. In the light of these considerations, and with the aim of properly addressing the changing realities of modern day relations between players and clubs as well as to enable proper control and transparency of player transfers, Fifa has enacted these regulations in accordance with article 4 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the Fifa Statutes. These regulations shall serve as minimum standards/ requirements that must be implemented by each association at national level, the latter having the possibility of further adding thereto.

One line which is key from what Fifa is saying is that it ‘considers it essential to protect players and clubs from being involved in unethical and/or illegal practices and circumstances in the context of concluding employment contracts between players and clubs and of concluding transfer agreements.’

But are some of these agents being ethical in their dealings with players and indeed clubs? We have a whole player agent, in a bid to strike it rich, tells a player to request his club to release him even if he is contracted on the basis that where he is set to go, he will get far more in terms of remuneration. This is a very disturbing trend in our game and these fly by night agents must be ashamed of themselves. Clubs that are keen to get players as free agents must also be ashamed. We always say that football is business and if you cannot compete in the business you have chosen, please get out. You can’t complain about heat when you are in the kitchen, simply get out of the kitchen.

Last week I had an article on long serving Highlanders goalkeeper, Ariel Sibanda who is believed to have asked to be released by the Bulawayo giants because a Mozambican club had shown interest in his services and had promised him a cool US$3 000 as monthly salary. That is indeed a good package by any standards and it shows that the said club is of good financial standing which might even see them being able to buy Sibanda from Highlanders.

But what does the agent do, he tells the player to request for release clause so that the club does not benefit. This is financial greediness on the part of the agent because to him and in the eyes of the receiving club in Mozambique, he would have done an excellent job which naturally deserves ‘a small token’ of appreciation.

What however is not given is whether indeed the US$3 000 salary will be given to the player hence my argument that let that be in black and white so that in the event that they renege, the player and Highlanders might raise red flags with the relevant authorities.

While it makes business sense to get a good player as a free agent, I believe it must be done in good spirit. It should not be influenced by an unforeseen financial gain for the player and agents should not use it to dangle a carrot to clubs that want players.