This week, the Sports Economist reported that the BBC has film of Sports Agents who represent players in English soccer saying that they have paid certain managers in the past to have teams hire their clients [Bungs, Taps, and sporting crime]. Apparently there is a term for the payment that the manager receives from an agent: a bung. It is kind of sad that the offering money to managers in exchange for the signing of agents’ clients has its own term in any sport. This is something you should be prepared for if you have any interest in representing soccer players in the U.S. or abroad. If you represent a soccer player in the MLS and he becomes good enough to play in the FA, he may make his way over to England.
There may be attempts in the near future to get rid of bungs, but as for now, agents and managers mostly get away with the payments unscathed.
For more about the BBC story: [England – Allardyce vows to fight TV bungs claims].
[tags]bungs, soccer, england, sports agents, sports agent, bbc[/tags]