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The Murky World of Soccer Agents, Debunking the Perception

I received some interesting feedback on my last article from family, friends, business associates and people who I had never met before. They can broadly be placed into two categories – the supportive and the questioning.

The supportive feedback does not need to be examined here as it is trite at this stage; I would not seek to subject the readers to an article written by myself praising myself. I am confident enough in what I do and how I do it to accept that there will be detractors as well as those who will encourage.

The people who questioned my last article did so on the basis that they were concerned I was revealing too many “trade secrets” and that the methods I have used to build up my company should not necessarily be divulged to the general public or any other aspiring Agents thus enabling them to become competition in due course. I do not subscribe to this way of thinking at all – I received help getting into this world (I have yet to see it be done without some kind of assistance whether it be personal, financial or professional) and if I can give something back to those who follow me on this path of the sport I love then I am more than happy to oblige.

One of the more prevalent words I have heard used to describe the world of soccer agency is “murky“. But what does this really mean in the context of my industry? To me, it has clear connotations of bungs (illegal payments), brown paper envelopes stuffed full of cash, muttered conversations in discreet locations and generally immoral and, perhaps, illegal behavior.

Allow me to address the underlying issues here. Undoubtedly, the field of athletic representation has been tainted by such actions; to suggest otherwise would be disingenuous at best and plain wrong at worst. Hardly a year goes by without a high-profile participant being shown to have acted improperly. The purpose of this article is not some kind of plaintive defense in favor of Agents. Rather, my aim is to clarify exactly what Agents do, why we do it and perhaps shed some light to a skeptical public. I also do not intend to set myself apart from my fellow Agents nor make disparaging remarks about them. We are all in this together.

To take a step back, I decided to draw on my experience at the Bar in England. Here, from the outside, is one of the world’s most respected professions, one predicated on honor, respect and fearlessly fighting for one’s clients’ rights. It is rare indeed to see a “murky” Barrister (lawyer) and yet I recall that not so long ago one Barrister was in the Court of Appeal on the Monday arguing a complex case in front of 3 Judges and on the Tuesday he had been remanded in custody at the Old Bailey on charges for possession and intent to supply of a substantial amount of a controlled narcotic. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a prison term. This was considered to have been one of the largest scandals to have hit the Bar in hundreds of years. Murky? You decide.

On an even wider scale, one need only examine the goings-on at Watergate, BCCI and Enron to see that “murkiness” permeates all aspects of society. The simple fact is that where there is money there is greed. And there is a lot of money in soccer. Perhaps not so much in US soccer at present, but it is growing all the time.

I also believe that people do not enter into such arrangements actively seeking to do wrong. They are trying to do the best they can with what they have in front of them but the results do not always reflect this point.

Furthermore, I am a firm believer that Agents, good Agents, have a pivotal role to play in soccer. Soccer’s origins are as an amateur sport. However, as early as 1885 Blackburn Rovers FC had spent £615.00 on their entire squad’s wages after having registered as a professional club. Their top players were being paid £1.00 a week which was a huge amount for those days and caused an outcry. From 1919 to 1960 soccer players in England were forced to accept a maximum wage. It was not until the threat of strike that this harsh restriction was lifted. Since then, wages have soared exponentially and this is where the worth of a true Agent comes into play by ensuring that their client gets remunerated accordingly and, more importantly, protected as far as possible from the whims of the club. Players have forever been at the mercy at their clubs regardless of their profile, status or salary. If a club wants to keep hold of the player then it will do so; one need only look at the Manchester United FC/Cristiano Ronaldo/Real Madrid tug-of-war this summer for proof. Likewise, if a club wants to get rid of a player it will do so whether it is for budgetary or athletic reasons. And this was the basis of Sepp Blatter’s rather ill-chosen ‘slavery’ comments regarding modern soccer players. All of this provides a lot of uncertainty for the player who will look to his Agent to suggest creative clauses be inserted into the contract to provide as much protection and stability as possible.

One of the first things I tell my prospective clients is that unless they are as certain as they can be at that stage that I am the best man for the job of furthering their career then they should look elsewhere for representation. They get total commitment from me and I expect the same from them in return. I do not make vapid promises about massive salaries, vast endorsement deals and worldwide fame because the truth is that most players will not scale these heights. I believe that my job is to provide sensible advice predicated on experience of the current market trends. It is essentially a sales job – I am selling my skills, contacts, nous and expertise to the client whilst at the same time marketing him to suitable clubs and garnishing a percentage of his earnings from the contract I negotiate on his behalf. There’s nothing “murky” about that and it is almost exactly the same principle as recruitment agents use.

Soccer is, in actuality, a fiercely regulated industry both in terms of Agents and clubs. The problems, I feel, stem from such regulations not being applied, known, or simply being ignored. Every Agent, prior to receiving his License, is obligated to sign a Code of Conduct which sets out his duties; to study for and pass the exams which require a detailed knowledge of the law governing soccer and to obtain professional indemnity insurance. Now, it’s one thing to know the rules, to sign such a document, set up the insurance policy, and another thing altogether to adhere to their tenets. What I have seen happen more and more recently is that Agents are becoming more culpable for their actions and hence the degree of care required to act in accordance with the Regulations is higher…far more so. One need only check FIFA’s website to see instances of Agents being punished for doing things that only 2 years ago were considered acceptable; and this goes back to an earlier point that I don’t feel most Agents set out to act improperly but are simply caught out by a mistake and this can happen to anyone in any field of work. My advice to any aspiring Agents is to compare and contrast the English FA’s Football Agents Regulations pre-2007 to the 1st September 2007 version to see the differences. This is a further point to note – most of the applicants I get contacting me regarding possible internships or employment opportunities have little or no understanding of the framework governing soccer Agents. It’s the first thing I ask them and there is usually a pregnant pause before they admit to not having looked at them; this is how mistakes are made – not knowing the rules or, just as bad, not knowing where to look up the answer to a potential issue. Of course, soccer being in the limelight ensures that any mistakes that are made are highlighted and make an already bad press even worse.

I imagine that every Agent will have a different approach to getting the job done and it is important to note that what works for one client with one Agent and one particular club may not work under different circumstances. There are so many what I call “human elements” involved in constructing a deal that the degree of certainty changes all the time.

It is undoubtedly a highly competitive field but you show me something worth doing that is not so. What carries me through is my passion for the sport and a genuine belief that US soccer is inexorably on the rise. To be a part of that is something I relish every day.

To conclude, I would hope that the above has achieved my goals of shedding some light on the work of Agents (although I can only speak from my own experience) and why things are done as they are done. If I have been able to dispel even a small percentage of the perceived “murkiness” then I will be pleased.

Max Eppel is a soccer Players’ Agent Licensed by The FA (England). He owns and manages his own California-based company, Max Eppel Soccer Agency LLC. For more information please visit www.maxeppelsocceragency.com.

9 replies on “The Murky World of Soccer Agents, Debunking the Perception”

ALUWA GROUP OF SPORTS ORGANIZATION
561 IKORODU ROAD KETU LAGOS ,NIGERIA
E-mail:[email protected]
TEL O7O32252472,O8O26889123,

INTRODUCTION LETTER

Dear Sir.

i am the player s agent in charge of transferring good and fit players to FIFA LICENSED and various clubs in the world.Also,i am in charge of scouting players for different clubs in Nigeria and the whole wide world .

i am interested in working directly with your club to supply you good and fit players .i will be able to send players of different positions and promise to buy ticket for the players to get over to you for trials .Please, contact me immediately to enable me send you the profile and passport for perusal.

While thank you for understanding and cooperation,i await your quick response.
Moreso i have some players who have played in the national team u-17,u-20,u-23
Best Regards

Dickson Aluwa

Players Manager

I an agent(football soccer) intereted to do business with clubs both in asia,europe and africa.i have abundant of talented,young,advance and skillful players .who are ready to take there career to the next level for trials and sale.we are ready to welcome offers from both clubs and agent who are sincere in dealling with us.you may contact us through this email [email protected] and tel:2348026656485.Hope to here from you soonest.

My husband is Nigerian and currently playing Premier League soccer in India he is the number 1 pick for next season ..I want him to make the break to the UK and am looking for a manager with vision …I can assure you …you will not be dissapointed

Dee Maduako

i own a football academy in nigeria. looking for a soccer agent that will give my team the opportunity to move out of the contry for trial. i will be glad if a football tournament could be arrage for us to widen our scope and skill

Hello,

My name is Prince Ayobamidele,a soccer administrator who owns a soccer academy in Nigeria,i have alot of young talented players in my academy that are ready for trails in abroad, am searching for an soccer agent/club to collaborate with or to give my players trial out to showcase their skill and place them on trial with any team of your choice and you will also be able to manage my players and get them clubs either in the amateur,semi professional or the professional level where they can grow in their skills and games.
Please i would like you to place these players where they can be guanratee of playing football and for them to know that they are in good hands.If you are searching for players that are very good,please dont hesitate to contact me.
I hope we can work together and make this relationship a successful one and creat a good atmosphere for other good players to follow and grow so that they can be great players in few years to come ….Email me on [email protected] or [email protected]………

Regards
Prince Ayobamidele

Dear Sir,
I am Ex-player here in nigeria and i am working as a scout in nigeria.I have some good & talented quality players in all levels.Infact
There are some in Nigeria Globacom Premier league & pro-league Players who are hot materials, Their current form and performances in the league has attracted huge Interest from Agents of top Clubs abroad,Please, I want you to urgently seize this opportunity so that we can grab this players to our own advantage.We have already talk to players with pedigree and they said they are interested in me getting deals for them from clubs or agents abroad,& I have some of there c.vs.We have a lot of valuable & marketable players here in nigeria. Please act fast these are quality players who will lead the Super Eagles soonest,As some of the players are member of our home base national team Super Eagles as a standby national team .We stand to gain a lot by getting these players into clubs in europe,asia south african and North African etc.We can also get you good female football players here in nigeria..I have some Nigeria international coaches with experience that have also won honours for the country c.vs with me,with other up coming once in all level that are good coaches too.they said are interested in me getting them coaching jobs from clubs abroad through my agents abroad.i am using this chance to inform you that we have many good coaches here in nigeria.i will like you to expose some of these good coaches for me.we stand to gain a lot by start getting both players,coaches from nigeria to clubs abroad.Contact number Land Mobile :2347040432921

Awaiting to hear from you very soon.
Thanks
Yours in Sports
BATURE RASAQ

am a young talented footballer looking for agents who can help me send my playing level to next level.am also in need of club badly,club any where in the country where i can make my dream come through…i have played in major leagues in GHANA and won thropys ….i will turn 18 years april 29 this year…any person or company,club intrested to help push me get to the top can contact me TEL:+233245836804

HI MR ,AM RANSFORD QUAYNOR FROM ACCRA GHANA WEST AFRICA TO BE PRECISELY 17YRS OF AGE ,,AM A GOOD MIDFILDER HOLDER OF THE BALL GOOD PASSER ACTIVELY STRONG PLAYED IN THE SEMI LEAGUE HERE IN GHANA ,,AND I DONT HAVE AGENT AND ALSO LOOKING FOR A CLUB IN EUROPE OR ASIA,AND HOPE YOU COULD HELP ME FIND ONE ,,MY CONTACT ARE AS FOLLOWS,,
 
[email protected]
TEL-+233-244202913 OR 276889258
 
THANK YOU SIR AND I WILL VERY GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU .

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