FMT
Unauthorised players’ agents are peddling cheaply
footballers with questionable quality or those carrying injuries, causing
anxiety among coaches and the FA of Malaysia (FAM).
What is of greater concern is that state football associations
and clubs oblige these agents amid allegations some officials get a cut from
these deals.
Football Coaches Association of Malaysia president B
Sathianathan said coaches hardly deal with these agents who instead only talk
directly to the top brass.
There have been cases where players, either foreign or local,
were hired before the coach was appointed, he said.
The result: Coaches having to deal with half-baked, and injured
players.
Sathianathan, who coaches Selangor, scouts for foreign players
after he is given a budget while the club secretary does the paperwork.
There have been reports in the past of team officials and
coaches who took a cut from the signing of players.
A German Fifa-registered player’s agent, who has been dealing
with Malaysian teams since the 90s, told this writer how he had, on several
occasions, paid 20% of the signing fees to officials who were influential in
hiring a player.
The German, who declined to be named, has since stopped bringing
players to Malaysia.
Registered agent, Effendi Jagan Abdullah, who has about 12
players playing in the M-League, said he was aware of these unregistered
agents.
Effendi claimed he never charged his players a fee for acting on
their behalf.
Meanwhile, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) wants
state FAs and clubs to only deal with the 14 local and three foreigners
registered as intermediaries (player’s agents) with the national body.
FAM general secretary Stuart Ramalingam said the M-League
currently has more than 90 foreign players and there have been no problems with
the licensed intermediaries.
He said intermediaries must undergo an interview and on
acceptance by FAM pay an annual licence fee of RM10,000 before they are allowed
to operate.
As a safeguard, the parents, siblings or spouse of a player, or
a lawyer, may represent him in negotiation or renegotiation of an employment
contract.
The irresponsible practices by rogue agents run contrary to
reforms involving agents that were adopted by Fifa last March to “protect the
integrity of football and prevent abuses”.
The rationale was to increase transparency, safeguard player
welfare, improve contractual stability and upgrade professional and ethical
standards.
If Malaysian football is to transform and state associations and
clubs to embrace professionalism, devious agents and officials must be binned
for good.
BLOG VERSION
Tony Mariadass Column Aug 15
FAM urges State FAs and clubs to stick
to recognised intermediaries
Unscrupulous signing-on
deals give a bad name to the M-League
THERE are no known cases of problems
with intermediaries brought to the FA of Malaysia but there are various State
FAs and clubs who deal with unregistered intermediaries which is of some
concern.
FA of Malaysia (FAM) is aware of the
situation but has clearly stated to all State FAs and clubs dealing with
intermediaries (previously known as players’ agents) should instead deal with
the registered intermediaries linked to the national body.
The FIFA Players
Agents Regulations (the 'Agents Regulations') were in place to regulate the
role of players' agents but were replaced in 2015 with the current applicable
FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (the "Intermediaries
Regulations"), which essentially relaxes the relevant regulations. They
replaced the licensing system with a registration system at national level, accompanied
by a number of 'benchmarks' that were to be used as the basis for national
regulation.
Definition of an intermediary under FIFA regulations is "a natural
or legal person who, for a fee or free of charge, represents players and/or
clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding an employment contract or
represents clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding a transfer
agreement".
Up until today, the Malaysian football league has more than 90 foreign
players plying their trade in the country.
For the 2019-2020 season, FAM had sent out circulars requesting State
FAs and clubs to deal with 17 registered intermediaries (14 local and three
foreigners) with them if they intend to secure the services of local or foreign
players through players’ agents.
"So far we have not had any
problems brought up to us with regards to registered intermediaries as they
have to strictly adhere to all regulations with regard to the licence issued to
them,” said FA of Malaysia general secretary Stuart Michael Ramalingam.
"We charge all intermediaries, whether local or foreign, RM10,000
as licence fee per year which is renewable. But before they are issued a
licence they have to apply and complete all FAM forms, attend an
interview session and payment made, if their application is approved.”
The parents, siblings or spouse of a player may represent the player in
negotiations or renegotiation of an employment contract or a legally authorised
practicing lawyer in compliance with the rules in force in his country of
domicile may represent a player or a club in the negotiations of a transfer or
employment contract.
However, Ramalingam confirmed that the above two have hardly ever played
a role in Malaysian football.
But unregistered ‘players’ agents’ making their rounds is no secret and
State FAs and clubs still entertain them because they market players who cost
less. "And therein lies the problem. These agents market players with
questionable quality or players who carry injuries.”
B. Satianathan, president of Football Coaches Association of
Malaysia (PJBM), said that most of the time it was not the coaches who deal
with unregistered intermediaries but either the top brass or secretary of the
State FA or clubs who play a key role.
"There are still many teams who insist on dealing with unregistered
intermediaries because officials get a cut out these deals,” disclosed
Satianathan.
"Most of the time, these players, be they foreign or local, have
already been signed on by the teams before the coach is appointed. Not only
do coaches have to deal with these 'half-baked’ players, but sometimes put up
with players who are injured.”
However, Satianathan cited teams like JDT and his own club Selangor, who
are truly professional.
"In Selangor, I am told of a budget I have for foreign players and
I scout for these players through licensed intermediaries. The secretary of the
club deals with the paper work and signing.”
There have been, in the recent past, many stories of team officials who
get a cut on signing of players and even some coaches too.
A German FIFA-registered players’ agent who has been dealing with
Malaysian teams since the 90s, has related incidents to me where he had to pay
20 per cent signing deals to officials, who are influential in ensuring a
player is signed.
"If I do not entertain them, I will not be able to get my players
to sign with the club no matter how good they are,” said the German who
declined to be named but no longer brings his players to Malaysia.
One registered intermediary, Effendi Jagan Abdullah, owner of Action
Football Asia Sdn Bhd who has about 12 players playing in the M-League, said he
is aware of these unregistered intermediaries.
"But as far as I am concerned I go strictly by the rules laid down
in attaining my licence from FA of Malaysia. In fact, I do not even charge the
player any fee for acting on behalf of him," said Effendy who has more
than 20 years experience in football management and has established strong
working relationships with Football Federations and clubs worldwide.
In March this year, the FIFA Council and the Football Stakeholders
Committee, unanimously adopted a series of reforms with respect to football
player agents in order to "protect the integrity of football and prevent
abuses."
According to FIFA, the rationale behind
these rules is to increase transparency, safeguard player welfare, improve
contractual stability and ameliorate professional and ethical standards.
It is hoped that
all these unprofessional practices come to a halt stops,
with a mind-set to follow the proper procedures with club licensing and
conversion from Football Associations to Football Clubs as a must and in place
for the 2021 season.
Ends.
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