Being one is not always easy – hell, it can even become really stressful during negotiations and at the end of transfer windows! But once you get the hang of it and gain the players’ sincere trust, it can become a dream job – just ask Zlatan Ibrahimovic‘s Mino Raiola. A football player’s agent is not just somebody who, for a fee, introduces players to clubs trying to negotiate or renegotiate an employment contract or who introduces two clubs to one another with a view to concluding a transfer. He is (can be) much more: football player’s agents these days take care of most matters regarding a player’s well-being, for instance: finding the player (and his family) a place to live, taking care of his legal and tax matters, help with getting the required medical assistance that is needed in case of injury …
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There is no such thing as a FIFA licensed agent
All this work is useless if you don’t have a valid license from your respective football association. Until 2001, agents were licensed directly by football’s worldwide governing body – FIFA. Since then, licenses have been issued by the respective association of the applicant’s country of nationality. To apply for a license, each person must send his application, together with all the required data, and pay an enrollment fee. Candidates must have an impeccable reputation (no criminal sentence for financial or violent crime) and can under no circumstance, as the FIFA Player’s Agents Regulations state, hold a position as an official, employee, etc. at FIFA, a confederation, an association, a league, a club or any organisation connected with such organisations and entities.
Know football, and the law!
If such an application satisfies the required (and mentioned) criteria, the association shall invite the applicant to take a written examination. The associations may hold examinations twice a year; the exact dates shall be determined by FIFA. The examination is organized by the association and held under the general supervision of FIFA. The exam is made as a multiple-choice test. In it, the applicant must show that he has the required knowledge on important subjects, such as:
a) Knowledge of the current applicable football regulations, especially in connection with transfers (internationally and locally);
b) Knowledge of civil law (basic principles of personal rights) and the law of obligations (contract law)
The last step is insurance
If a candidate passes (receives enough points – criteria set by FIFA), he is just one step away from obtaining a license. The last step is acquiring professional liability insurance made out in his own name with a reputable insurance company. The insurance must be there to adequately cover any risks that may arise from the players’ agent’s activity. If that is not possible, a guarantee from a Swiss bank for a minimum amount of CHF 100,000 is another, yet not so popular option.
Once all this is settled, the agent signs the Code of Professional Conduct and is finally issued a license that allows him to conduct his work in organized football on a worldwide basis. Thereafter, he may use the term “Players’ agent licensed by the football association of [add country]” by his name.
Is your agent really an agent?
An updated list is (or should be) published on the webpage of the respective national football association. The complete list can also be found on FIFA’s webpage so players can always check if they are really dealing with a legitimate person. There are thousands of them all over the world, with some of them very famous. Beside Raiola, who is of Italian origin living in the Netherlands and also represents Mario Balotelli, probably the most famous agent at the moment is Jorge Mendes, who (amongst others) represents Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho. The most agents, by far, come from Italy. Italians have 949 registered football player’s agents. Would you like to become football agent? Join Fieldoo, a football marketplace for players & agents, and start making your business career.
