Jonathan Barnett, Mino Raiola ready to go to war with FIFA over proposed cap on agents' fees

ByEurosport

Updated 31/03/2021 at 09:26 GMT

"These rules have been written by people who have no idea what an agent does. They have no idea other than what people speculate about agents. When they say it’s to help players, they are talking out of their backsides. There certainly aren’t any of my players who would rather be represented by FIFA than by us."

Gareth Bale’s representative Jonathan Barnett is ready to do battle with FIFA over its proposed changes to how clubs interact with agents.

FIFA has put forward a string of proposals, with the most high-profile being how agents act and the fees paid to players' representatives.

World football’s governing body is putting forward legislation meaning an agent cannot act on behalf of a buying or selling club or player in the same transaction, while fees they secure would be capped at “3% of a player’s annual salary or 10% of the transfer fee to a selling club.”

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FIFA’s proposals were put out for consultation last year and will be voted on at a council meeting, with the aim for them to come into force in 2022.

Barnett, Mino Raiola and Jorge Mendes are not happy with the proposals and are ready to take the fight to FIFA should the need arise through The Football Forum, which is a group of agents working together “to protect the interests, the professionalism and the rights of agents and, as a consequence, of players.”

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Barnett, asked by the Guardian whether FIFA should be worried about The Football Forum, said: “Yes, but if they behave properly they don’t have to be worried. The truth is we’re not little kids – we have sufficient funds to put everything in proper order.

If FIFA insist on doing what they are insisting on doing at the moment, obviously there’s going to be a lot of litigation flying around.

“The caps are only one part [of the regulations] that everyone seems to be focusing on. These rules have been written by people who have no idea what an agent does. They have no idea other than what people speculate about agents.

"When they say it’s to help players they are talking out of their backsides. There certainly aren’t any of my players who would rather be represented by FIFA than by us.

“It’s absolutely scandalous that without proper consultation they can write rules that they think will be legal. We’ve got some of the best QCs in England and the best lawyers in Europe so I hope it doesn’t come to it. But if it does, so be it.”

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