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FIFA agents gain from transfer deals
Published: Wednesday | April 17, 2013
GENEVA (AP):Football agents got a lot richer last year.
Agents took a bigger cut from international player transfers in 2012, even as trading in the billion- dollar market fell by US$290 million, according to FIFA research published yesterday.
Player representatives took US$163 million in fees from clubs, at 28 per cent average commission, as their total take from cross-border transfers rose US$33 million last year.
"2012 witnessed a greater involvement of intermediaries," FIFA subsidiary Transfer Matching System (TMS) stated in an annual survey which logged deals worth US$2.53 billion.
Clubs in 200 countries must use the online platform to detail all their payments when players move between different countries either for a fee, on loan or when out of contract.
English clubs spent the most, with FIFA processing US$59 million in fees to agents in international deals.
Italian clubs paid US$41 million and Russian clubs US$23 million and agents also banked payments from players which FIFA's system doesn't record.
"Obviously, money going to an intermediary is leaving football," TMS general manager Mark Goddard said in a conference call.
REMOVING MIDDLE MEN
FIFA's insight into how much agents earn from clubs follows after football's governing body revealed in January it was preparing to help teams cut out middle men and deal directly with each other.
An online system called Global Player Exchange is being developed to help clubs share information about players available to sign.
Asked if the latest survey showed how agents drove up clubs' transfer expenses, Goddard replied: "I am happy we can give the data so that clubs can start asking questions themselves."
In 2012, player representatives were paid commissions from 706 international transfers, a 19 per cent increase year-on-year.
Agents income soared despite FIFA logging a 10 per cent drop in total value of international transfers. In 2011, the market was worth US$2.82 billion.
Goddard declined to speculate if the global financial downturn was responsible for a drop in spending when the total number of completed international transfers, 11,552, rose by one per cent last year. Seven out of every 10 transfers involved free-agent players.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2.../sports93.html
Published: Wednesday | April 17, 2013
GENEVA (AP):Football agents got a lot richer last year.
Agents took a bigger cut from international player transfers in 2012, even as trading in the billion- dollar market fell by US$290 million, according to FIFA research published yesterday.
Player representatives took US$163 million in fees from clubs, at 28 per cent average commission, as their total take from cross-border transfers rose US$33 million last year.
"2012 witnessed a greater involvement of intermediaries," FIFA subsidiary Transfer Matching System (TMS) stated in an annual survey which logged deals worth US$2.53 billion.
Clubs in 200 countries must use the online platform to detail all their payments when players move between different countries either for a fee, on loan or when out of contract.
English clubs spent the most, with FIFA processing US$59 million in fees to agents in international deals.
Italian clubs paid US$41 million and Russian clubs US$23 million and agents also banked payments from players which FIFA's system doesn't record.
"Obviously, money going to an intermediary is leaving football," TMS general manager Mark Goddard said in a conference call.
REMOVING MIDDLE MEN
FIFA's insight into how much agents earn from clubs follows after football's governing body revealed in January it was preparing to help teams cut out middle men and deal directly with each other.
An online system called Global Player Exchange is being developed to help clubs share information about players available to sign.
Asked if the latest survey showed how agents drove up clubs' transfer expenses, Goddard replied: "I am happy we can give the data so that clubs can start asking questions themselves."
In 2012, player representatives were paid commissions from 706 international transfers, a 19 per cent increase year-on-year.
Agents income soared despite FIFA logging a 10 per cent drop in total value of international transfers. In 2011, the market was worth US$2.82 billion.
Goddard declined to speculate if the global financial downturn was responsible for a drop in spending when the total number of completed international transfers, 11,552, rose by one per cent last year. Seven out of every 10 transfers involved free-agent players.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2.../sports93.html
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