FIFA President Calls for Regulation of Agent Fees in Soccer Transfer Market

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called on lawmakers to help control payments to player agents in the soccer transfer market, particularly focusing on the English Premier League. Infantino stated that English clubs paid €500 million ($530 million) in agent fees in the year to February, while paying just €30 million ($32 million) to foreign clubs that trained and developed the players signed.

Infantino argued that most of this money is leaving the sport and that the compensation and solidarity payments are vital for less privileged clubs. He called for "transparency, accountability and better redistribution" in the transfer market. FIFA has faced legal challenges from agents trying to block its plan to cap agent commissions at 10% of transfer fees and 3-10% of player salaries.

Premier League clubs spent £409.5 million on agents and intermediaries in the 12 months to February 2024, while European clubs received only €30 million (£25.8 million) in compensation and solidarity payments from the Premier League for players they had brought through. Infantino emphasized the importance of these payments in supporting less affluent clubs and nurturing talent globally.

Why this matters: The regulation of agent fees in the soccer transfer market has significant implications for the financial sustainability and competitive balance of the sport. Ensuring that a fair share of transfer funds is distributed to clubs that develop young talent is crucial for the long-term health of soccer worldwide.

Infantino urged governments and lawmakers to join FIFA in ensuring that the funds generated in transfers are kept within football and shared with clubs from around the world, as the less wealthy clubs are "absolutely key for current and future generations of footballers." He acknowledged the legal challenges from disgruntled agents but affirmed FIFA's commitment to enforcing transparent and fair regulations.

Key Takeaways

• FIFA president calls for lawmakers to control player agent fees, especially in EPL.
• EPL clubs paid €500M in agent fees, while paying only €30M to developing clubs.
• FIFA aims to cap agent commissions at 10% of transfer fees and 3-10% of salaries.
• Ensuring fair distribution of transfer funds to developing clubs is crucial for soccer.
• FIFA faces legal challenges from agents but remains committed to transparent regulations.