Football agents compensation

[flappyjay]

https://www.givemesport.com/1669883...mino-raiolas-huge-demands-to-barcelona-emerge

Looks like Raiola is up to his antics again with the Haaland transfer, asking for crazy money into his pocket like the Pogba Transfer. My question is when does fifa step in for situations like these. Always thought that agents should only be paid 10% or less by the player from his own salary. The NBA, MLB and NFL have a cap on agent fees. Is this just a sign of how corrupt football is behind the scenes because agent fees are a small part of the things these football agents get up to. It just naggs me that Uefa and Fifa don't seem to be taking strides to fix this.

On a personal note if those demands for singing Erling are true then I don't want him. Having to shell out all that money and then deal with Raiola for the duration of the contract is simply not worth not worth it.

 

[The Siege]

I really want to hate him, but I know I'd do the exact same thing in his shoes. You make sure you get as much as you can while the golden geese are still golden. If Haaland gets sold at the numbers being quoted, Dortmund, Raiola, Haaland senior, everyone makes a nice little payday that I can't judge them for trying to claim.


His media nonsense as soon as a player is unsettled, that I have no patience for.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

https://www.givemesport.com/1669883...mino-raiolas-huge-demands-to-barcelona-emerge

Looks like Raiola is up to his antics again with the Haaland transfer, asking for crazy money into his pocket like the Pogba Transfer. My question is when does fifa step in for situations like these. Always thought that agents should only be paid 10% or less by the player from his own salary. The NBA, MLB and NFL have a cap on agent fees. Is this just a sign of how corrupt football is behind the scenes because agent fees are a small part of the things these football agents get up to. It just naggs me that Uefa and Fifa don't seem to be taking strides to fix this.

On a personal note if those demands for singing Erling are true then I don't want him. Having to shell out all that money and then deal with Raiola for the duration of the contract is simply not worth not worth it.

FIFA and uefa don’t have the stomach for a fight.

Even if they did, how can two corrupt organisations, go after agents - when they take every opportunity to maximise money/ line their own pockets.

it is out of control. Pogba was different in that he has a % of the transfer fee.

the issue is agents know footballers are scarce, so they can pretty much do what they want. If one or two clubs make a stand, doesn’t matter there will be clubs that pay.

should something be done, yes 100%, will anything be done. No.

 

[Sassy Colin]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

 

[Pexbo]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

It’s the modern form of third party ownership

 

[Varun1]

https://www.givemesport.com/1669883...mino-raiolas-huge-demands-to-barcelona-emerge

Looks like Raiola is up to his antics again with the Haaland transfer, asking for crazy money into his pocket like the Pogba Transfer. My question is when does fifa step in for situations like these. Always thought that agents should only be paid 10% or less by the player from his own salary. The NBA, MLB and NFL have a cap on agent fees. Is this just a sign of how corrupt football is behind the scenes because agent fees are a small part of the things these football agents get up to. It just naggs me that Uefa and Fifa don't seem to be taking strides to fix this.

On a personal note if those demands for singing Erling are true then I don't want him. Having to shell out all that money and then deal with Raiola for the duration of the contract is simply not worth not worth it.

Why do you think FIFA should intervene and set a cap?
Shouldn't it be left to the club to decide on dealing or not dealing with the agent?
Isn't there a risk that they'll start capping transfer fees next?

 

[Cassidy]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

Agents also act as intermediaries for clubs

 

[Chipper]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

On a much simpler level I don't even understand the value they bring for the player. If I had an agent that was getting £10m I'd be wondering why I'm not getting £9m of that him £1m. I'm sure an agent being paid £1m could get the club to pay out just as much in total.

Even if he extracted slightly less from the club in total thus proving himself to be worse at negotiating and we took £3m of it each I'd better off.

 

[flappyjay]

Why do you think FIFA should intervene and set a cap?
Shouldn't it be left to the club to decide on dealing or not dealing with the agent?
Isn't there a risk that they'll start capping transfer fees next?

Fifa should have a cap because agents are taking advantage of the current system. Making more money from one transfer than some players will make over their career. Not just a cap on fees but regulations in other matters such as clauses for future sales e.g Pogba, Raiola literally made more money than Le Havre and Manchester United from transferring Pogba. The two clubs than trained him benefitted less than his agent. Also the reported shady transfers of Mendes clients.

As for this leading to caps on transfers I really don't see how they are related.

 

[flappyjay]

On a much simpler level I don't even understand the value they bring for the player. If I had an agent that was getting £10m I'd be wondering why I'm not getting £9m of that him £1m. I'm sure an agent being paid £1m could get the club to pay out just as much in total.

Even if he extracted slightly less from the club in total thus proving himself to be worse at negotiating and we took £3m of it each I'd better off.

Exactly this, maybe hire a lawyer for when the deal is being negotiated. Especially when you are not a big time player who gets endorsement deals. You don't need to be sharing your wages with some other bloke.

 

[GatoLoco]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

At the end of the day the player agrees to sign for a club in exchange for an amount and he can share that amount as he pleases. So it does not matter if the club pays the agent directly or indirectly the outcome will be the same.

 

[Varun1]

Fifa should have a cap because agents are taking advantage of the current system. Making more money from one transfer than some players will make over their career. Not just a cap on fees but regulations in other matters such as clauses for future sales e.g Pogba, Raiola literally made more money than Le Havre and Manchester United from transferring Pogba. The two clubs than trained him benefitted less than his agent. Also the reported shady transfers of Mendes clients.

As for this leading to caps on transfers I really don't see how they are related.

Firstly I won't go into shady deals, be it Mendes's or Raiola's - for me that's another topic.

Agents are taking advantage of the system - how are they exploiting a system which is designed to work this way?
Making more money on one transfer than some players make over their career - many players earn more in a week than some players do over their career. Some earn multiple times the amount the average household makes. So how is that an issue?
Clauses on future transfers - are you saying that Raiola earns a % of transfer fees? What's the issue? This is agreed between agent, club and player, nothing shady. No conflict of interest as far as I can see.
The 2 clubs benefited less - isn't that to be expected? When we poach a young player, we pay a compensation fee and layer a % of future transfers but overall we benefit more than the initial club. Juve benefited more than le havre and United. If le havre were a top side and could hold on to their players, they may have benefited more from Pogba. Again, not sure how that's the agent's fault?

How is transfer fees related- if you want FIFA to regulate agent fees, what's stopping them from regulating transfer fees, isn't it all part of the same bigger issue that you're describing?

 

[duffer]

I know it's not the thread subject but the hate agents gets kinda baffles me. They're appointed by the players and act on their behalf and instructions.

If Haaland's agent is acting like a dick, blame Haaland.

 

[Cloud7]

On a much simpler level I don't even understand the value they bring for the player. If I had an agent that was getting £10m I'd be wondering why I'm not getting £9m of that him £1m. I'm sure an agent being paid £1m could get the club to pay out just as much in total.

Even if he extracted slightly less from the club in total thus proving himself to be worse at negotiating and we took £3m of it each I'd better off.

This has been discussed before, but agents don’t just act in the interest of negotiating with the clubs. For a lot of players, especially higher profile ones, the agents help the players with everything in their lives. Their marketing stuff, real estate, investments outside of football, it’s more akin to a personal assistant who handles all those aspects of your life, rather than just someone that talks to the club.

Modern footballers have a lot more to consider on their plate than footballers did thirty years ago, so for them it makes sense to have someone to handle that stuff, while they focus on their football and enjoying their money.

 

[Cloud7]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

I assume it’s a way of getting the agent on your side so they try to convince the player to come to your club. A sort of legal bribe, I guess. The alternative would be to not pursue said player, which you would say the club wouldn’t be willing to do, so the club would consider the agent fees as part of the transfer fee.

 

[Sassy Colin]

At the end of the day the player agrees to sign for a club in exchange for an amount and he can share that amount as he pleases. So it does not matter if the club pays the agent directly or indirectly the outcome will be the same.

I honestly don't think that's right mate. It is a transaction between 2 clubs. The agent should be there to ensure his client is getting the best deal for them.

 

[SemiPro]

I recommend reading “Done Deal” by Daniel Geey to understand a bit more about how agents operate in the football industry.

It’s normal practice now for a player to pay his agent roughly 10% of his basic salary before bonuses. In exchange their agent will provide their services such as helping to negotiate new contracts (the more money the player gets, the more money the agent gets too), negotiating with other clubs on their behalf during transfers, getting their player a boot deal/endorsements and generally just looking after all their needs including even sometimes organising someone to do their shopping. Some footballers nowadays rely on their agents for almost everything.

Over time what has happened is that instead of the player paying his own agent’s fee, the agents have instead started asking the clubs directly for the money in instalments over the length of the contract. This works in the players favour as the club now effectively are paying for his agent and it works for the agent because he is getting his player a better deal.

The issue is that clubs are now willing to pay these agents massive sums to get transfers over the line. If a club wants a player badly then the agent holds all the power in the negotiation unless the club is willing to walk away. Unfortunately, there’s so much money in football nowadays that clubs are willing to pay the money in case the agent takes the player to another club.

In the case of the Haaland situation, the agent fees being mentioned are so high partly because of the massive salary being asked for. The numbers being suggested are €30 million a year before tax over a 5 year contract. That’s €150 million total or €270 million pre tax. If we use the 10% rule then you would expect an agent fee around €27 million which ties up with the €20 million that Raiola wants but doesn’t justify the other €20 million for Haaland’s father.

With more and more money in the sport we’re naturally going to see higher transfer fees, salaries and agent fees. The only way that it’s going to stop rising is if spending caps are introduced or the agents are better regulated. Clubs have their part to play as well by refusing to pay extortionate agent fees but usually the allure of a shiny new player is too much.

 

[DWelbz19]

The NBA, MLB and NFL have a cap on agent fees.

I've always found it so fascinating that America of all places have such transparency on player/agent salaries, and in general quite socialist(?) rules in their sports, with the drafting systems etc.

Here in Europe it is all very hush-hush and you'd imagine a lot of interesting clauses and events take place in transfers. Raiola definitely earned a large sum during the Pogba transfer, for example. Another is when Neymar moved to Barcelona -- his dad reportedly earned a fortune... As well as a few orgies!

 

[Walrus]

One has to wonder if/when the financial bubble of football will start to burst. The sheer numbers being floated around in salaries, transfer fees and agent fees etc are obviously insane and have been for some time - but its the fact that the cost of all this is footed by the consumer that really takes the piss.

 

[CM]

I really want to hate him, but I know I'd do the exact same thing in his shoes. You make sure you get as much as you can while the golden geese are still golden. If Haaland gets sold at the numbers being quoted, Dortmund, Raiola, Haaland senior, everyone makes a nice little payday that I can't judge them for trying to claim.


His media nonsense as soon as a player is unsettled, that I have no patience for.

I actually think it's the opposite way around. I'm no fan of the way Raiola behaves at times but if he is acting in the interests of his clients and helps facilitate a move for them, he's doing his job.

Agents have no business making millions of pounds off one transfer though. That is everything that is wrong with modern football.

 

[Adisa]

Imo, agents should be able to make as much as clubs are willing to pay. If you're going to spend 300m on an asset over 5 years, paying a middle man 20m is not out of the ordinary in any industry.
Football is a business. People have to get their head around that fact.

 

[passing-wind]

I know it's not the thread subject but the hate agents gets kinda baffles me. They're appointed by the players and act on their behalf and instructions.

If Haaland's agent is acting like a dick, blame Haaland.

This is the reality of the situation. The Haaland's have employed Raiola for what he brings to the table. I don't see why players don't get those around them to educate themselves on taking care of the business side of the game as the money is in house and there's far less bad public perception. Rashford has done this well employing his brothers as his agents.

However I think it's clear that Raiola does more than just negotiating contracts I think I recall him saying this in an interview.

 

[Adisa]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

They are also intermediaries.

 

[duffer]

This is the reality of the situation. The Haaland's have employed Raiola for what he brings to the table. I don't see why players don't get those around them to educate themselves on taking care of the business side of the game as the money is in house and there's far less bad public perception. Rashford has done this well employing his brothers as his agents.

However I think it's clear that Raiola does more than just negotiating contracts I think I recall him saying this in an interview.

Nepotism in football is incredibly rife and I get why they want to help their family out but I would not want to have any of my family members as employees.

Just get a proper agent, get paid a bit more, bung your brother some dosh and tell him to do his own thing.

 

[Chipper]

This has been discussed before, but agents don’t just act in the interest of negotiating with the clubs. For a lot of players, especially higher profile ones, the agents help the players with everything in their lives. Their marketing stuff, real estate, investments outside of football, it’s more akin to a personal assistant who handles all those aspects of your life, rather than just someone that talks to the club.

Modern footballers have a lot more to consider on their plate than footballers did thirty years ago, so for them it makes sense to have someone to handle that stuff, while they focus on their football and enjoying their money.

So you don't think there's anybody who could do or would be willing to to do what Raiola does for Haaland or Pogba for £1m, £3 or £5m instead of what he actually gets or got?

I obviously don't know the business but would have thought that because agents need clients that the players would be in a position of power, forcing agents to undercut each other so that the player gets a bigger piece of the pie and the agent a smaller one whilst still getting the club to cough up as much in total.

Edit: I don't know, I suppose players have concluded that there aren't or they'd be hiring them, or maybe it's because they're so bad at negotiationg that it doesn't even occur to them they could negogiate with the agents as well to take less? Ha, maybe they need an agent to negotiate terms with an agent! Suppose if they were any good at negotiating with agents they wouldn't need one to negotiate with clubs.

Like I said, I don't really know the industry but I suppose I see them as people who are really good at convincing players that they and only they can do the job they do as well as they do whilst I'm sitting here having doubts. The bloke at the used car salesroom could probably do as good would be my guess. Sure, there's maybe some work similar to what a PA might do on top of negotiating but you can hire one of them, I remember Jermaine Defoe advertised for one when he was at Sunderland, he was offering about £60k a year and that person would have been on hand more often than an agent would as they literally lived with him. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...his-fridge-and-water-his-plants-10469421.html

 

[Judas]

I know it's not the thread subject but the hate agents gets kinda baffles me. They're appointed by the players and act on their behalf and instructions.

If Haaland's agent is acting like a dick, blame Haaland.

Basically this.

Raiola is brilliant at his job. I'd be interested to see if any players have ever come out and said anything bad about him? He's hired to do a job, and clearly does it very well.

Now if he was costing players their desire dream move, maybe then you'd think bit odd, but that doesn't seem to happen.

 

[Cloud7]

So you don't think there's anybody who could do or would be willing to to do what Raiola does for Haaland or Pogba for £1m, £3 or £5m instead of what he actually gets or got?

I obviously don't know the business but would have thought that because agents need clients that the players would be in a position of power, forcing agents to undercut each other so that the player gets a bigger piece of the pie and the agent a smaller one whilst still getting the club to cough up as much in total.

Edit: I don't know, I suppose players have concluded that there aren't or they'd be hiring them, or maybe it's because they're so bad at negotiationg that it doesn't even occur to them they could negogiate with the agents as well to take less? Ha, maybe they need an agent to negotiate terms with an agent! Suppose if they were good at negotiating with agents they wouldn't need one to negotiate with clubs.

Like I said, I don't really know the industry but I suppose I see them as people who are really good at convincing players that they and only they can do the job they do as well as they do whilst I'm sitting here having doubts. The bloke at the used car salesroom could probably do as good would be my guess. Sure, there's maybe some work similar to what a PA might do on top of negotiating but you can hire one of them, I remember Jermaine Defoe advertised for one in the national press when he was at Sunderland, think he was offering about £50k a year. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...his-fridge-and-water-his-plants-10469421.html

None of us know the ins and outs of it specifically, but since most high profile players have an agent, and many of them share the same agents, I’m going to assume that they’re important to the players, and that these group of people haven’t managed to hoodwink the entire world of football.

 

[Cloud7]

Basically this.

Raiola is brilliant at his job. I'd be interested to see if any players have ever come out and said anything bad about him? He's hired to do a job, and clearly does it very well.

Now if he was costing players their desire dream move, maybe then you'd think bit odd, but that doesn't seem to happen.

United fans weren’t complaining when Raiola was throwing chairs around to get Mkhitaryan his move to United.

 

[Withnail]

Agent fees are absolutely ridiculous at the moment.

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[do.ob]

I've always found it so fascinating that America of all places have such transparency on player/agent salaries, and in general quite socialist(?) rules in their sports, with the drafting systems etc.

Here in Europe it is all very hush-hush and you'd imagine a lot of interesting clauses and events take place in transfers. Raiola definitely earned a large sum during the Pogba transfer, for example. Another is when Neymar moved to Barcelona -- his dad reportedly earned a fortune... As well as a few orgies!

It's because their system is set up to maximize profits for the "franchise" owners. Whereas the traditional fan "owned" European club is set up to maximize sporting success.

 

[The Siege]

I actually think it's the opposite way around. I'm no fan of the way Raiola behaves at times but if he is acting in the interests of his clients and helps facilitate a move for them, he's doing his job.

Agents have no business making millions of pounds off one transfer though. That is everything that is wrong with modern football.

Why not though? They're effectively a freelance negotiator for the player, aside from a series of other roles in their life. They're charging an upfront fee in the transaction from numbers that they've managed to inflate, including the players wages and what they get out of it, similar to how brokers in any other domain work. I don't see how that's any different from clubs having negotiators and asking for a salary based on their skills. If Mino Raiola handled our players sales, we'd cream ourselves. If he said, I will sell this 20m player for 60m, but I keep 10 mil, that's not wrong, that's just capitalism.

I have a problem with his behaviour with the press because he's narratively manipulating contracts that he's already profited off, and trying to make sure the current club doesn't get 100% out of the player. Again, it's not wrong per se, but it feels like a low blow.

 

[CM]

Why not though? They're effectively a freelance negotiator for the player, aside from a series of other roles in their life. They're charging an upfront fee in the transaction from numbers that they've managed to inflate, including the players wages and what they get out of it, similar to how brokers in any other domain work. I don't see how that's any different from clubs having negotiators and asking for a salary based on their skills. If Mino Raiola handled our players sales, we'd cream ourselves. If he said, I will sell this 20m player for 60m, but I keep 10 mil, that's not wrong, that's just capitalism.

I have a problem with his behaviour with the press because he's narratively manipulating contracts that he's already profited off, and trying to make sure the current club doesn't get 100% out of the player. Again, it's not wrong per se, but it feels like a low blow.

Chiefly because he has nothing to do with the value of the player. He isn't driving up transfer fees and keeping some of it for himself, he's creating extra expenses (and ridiculous ones at that) for minimal amounts of work.

They serve to get the best deal possible for the player but then De Bruyne recently signed a new contract without an agent and there's talk of Sterling doing the same. That may not be the typical approach but why should a middle man take so much money in a transaction where they aren't essential? I'm sure it's the same reason Ferguson was reluctant to pay big agent fees, these guys are parasites.

I'm generalising a bit here too. Obviously not all agents will operate like this or make the vast amounts Raiola has, but it has certainly spiralled out of control at the top levels of the game.

 

[phenry]

I don't understand their value to well known players like Pogba or Haaland. Its their talent that drives up the fee not and allows them to pick whatever club they like, not the work of their agents. I'd understand if it was James agent or something that managed to get him into a club that seemed well above what he could expect but for the top stars it's not like the agents are the ones responsible for what they get. Market economics are

 

[Mb194dc]

There should be centralised control of players contracts via FIFA and a cap on agents commission as in the NFL and NBA. This is what FIFA have essentially proposed and hopefully it goes through.

Wondering if some agents might try to push deals through before regulations come in.

 

[Flanders Devil]

I don’t ‘like’ the concept agents in general-but they are a part of so many industries, and in general operate on the same principles. Be it real estate, recruitment or football.

so if I’m selling my house, I probably pay the % to the agent to sort it out for me, and have the comfort (real or perceived) that they should be acting on my best interest and will try to get me the best deal possible *
*before anyone is in on this point I do know the theory that real estate agents don’t always act in the interest of the buyer, as they are relatively most incentivised by making ‘any deal’.

 

[arthurka]

FIFA and uefa don’t have the stomach for a fight.

Even if they did, how can two corrupt organisations, go after agents - when they take every opportunity to maximise money/ line their own pockets.

it is out of control. Pogba was different in that he has a % of the transfer fee.

the issue is agents know footballers are scarce, so they can pretty much do what they want. If one or two clubs make a stand, doesn’t matter there will be clubs that pay.

should something be done, yes 100%, will anything be done. No.

So are elite clubs willing to pay top dollar so if the clubs wanted to do something about this they could easily do so.

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

Nepotism in football is incredibly rife and I get why they want to help their family out but I would not want to have any of my family members as employees.

Just get a proper agent, get paid a bit more, bung your brother some dosh and tell him to do his own thing.

Rashford is doing very well though (salary, sponsorships, PR, etc.) even with his brother as his agent. Why would he want to take that money out of the family and hire a 3rd party. Even Mbappe, Pep, Messi and Neymar use their family members.

Halaand is probably being taken for a ride by Raiola. There is no way his needs/case is more complicated than the people mentioned above.

 

[RedDevilzFox]

There really is no need for agents like Raiola in football. There are ton of other agents that don't run their mouth against the club their clients are playing at and still get what their clients want done. Mendes' client list is much bigger and reputable than the fat lard and he never speaks disrespectfully. Even Fergie praised him in his book. This notion that Raiola is doing his job by being a prick is stupid. If anything he is burning bridges.

If only 5-6 top clubs colluded and made an unspoken agreement to ban Raiola, this problem will be quickly solved.

 

[Skills]

I've always found it so fascinating that America of all places have such transparency on player/agent salaries, and in general quite socialist(?) rules in their sports, with the drafting systems etc.

Here in Europe it is all very hush-hush and you'd imagine a lot of interesting clauses and events take place in transfers. Raiola definitely earned a large sum during the Pogba transfer, for example. Another is when Neymar moved to Barcelona -- his dad reportedly earned a fortune... As well as a few orgies!

Tbf, the reason for that is they've created an environment where they're trying funnel as much money as possible into the owners pockets. Its why those NFL franchises will have salary caps and have complete visibility over their wage bills, but their earnings/revenues are hidden (unlike in football where clubs announce their revenues/profits) so nobody knows how much money the owners are really pocketing.

 

[Sandikan]

What I don't get is this.

A football agent is employed by a player to look after their interests, and I don't have a problem with that.

So, why does the buying and/or selling club have to pay the agent a fee? The agent doesn't work for a club, they are only interested in getting the best deal for their client.

The agent facilitates the transfer. On the face of it you have to go through the club, but in reality clubs are in constant communication with the agents, and you simply won't be able to sign the player you want if you don't keep the agent on side.

It's an impossible situation to regulate. The naive say, "just stop agents being paid by clubs", but in reality if you do that, and insist the player pays them, the player's demands just go up.

The only real way to stop the likes of Raiola, would be to get every elite club to agree a pact not to deal with him. That would very quickly make the top players think twice.
However, you would simply never get all the clubs to agree.