I have a very serious concern in relation to…….
…………….FOOTBALL AGENTS and the representation of minors.
Under the new FIFA Football Agent process, all I had to do to allow me represent minors was to complete a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course, which was actually very interesting by the way. The short course touches on various topics and helps the “student” understand some of the challenges that may come up whilst representing a minor. These include things such as highlighting the different rates of development of children, and how to manage relationships with the young player’s parents, including managing expectations and disappointments. Once I completed the CPD (and passed the test) I was deemed fit to represent minors 😱.
With stories, in the media, on the likes of Barry Bennell and Patrick Assoumou Eyi, and many many others who abused young players under their care, I was expecting to jump through a few more hoops, but nope…. I found this very worrying indeed 😓😓😓😓😓😓. I contacted FIFA twice and was eventually directed to Point 11 Enclosure 2:
“…..a football agent that wishes to represent a minor or a club in a transaction involving a minor must first successfully complete the mandatory designated CPD course on minors (cf. art. 13 par. 2 of the FFAR) that will be made available via the Agent Platform. They must then pass an assessment at the end of the course to gain the relevant accreditation. Furthermore, they must comply with any requirement to represent a minor established by the applicable law in the country or territory of the member association where the minor will be employed.”
Really? I have a huge problem with the last sentence. Does FIFA actively monitor this requirement to see how many of its Member Associations (MA) comply with this or is it just some writing in a booklet? Do half of the MAs even know the agents that are operating in their territories? 🤔
Thankfully, before you are allowed to represent minors in England you MUST go through a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check 👊🏽. Times like this make me really proud to be a football Agent affiliated to The Football Association 🏴. I am able to take my knowledge and experiences of where things work well, and (at least) try and transfer them to where they don’t work as well… 🙏🏾
PS – I wholeheartedly understand that a DBS check doesn’t provide any guarantees that an individual won’t go on to commit sexual or other abuses against a minor, however at the very least it stops those who have already committed such abuses from getting into roles where they have access to vulnerable and impressionable young people.
Let’s protect the innocent young players of tomorrow.
FIFA can we look into this please? 🙏🏾
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