๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐น ๐๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐ข๐ธ๐ผ๐ธ๐
A FIFA football-agent licence should mean more than the ability to negotiate the next contract.
FIFA requires licensed agents to understand the regulatory system in which they operate. Its examination tests knowledge of football regulations and the transfer system, while licensed agents must complete annual Continuing Professional Development to maintain their licences.
That professional knowledge carries value.
So here is a question worth asking in Nigerian football:
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐, ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ด๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด?
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ก๐ ๐ช๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ
Under FIFAโs Football Agent Regulations, an agent may provide football-agent services only through a written representation agreement with the client.
That relationship places the agent close to the playerโs career.
What happens when salary stops?
What happens when contractual obligations are ignored?
What happens when match overload, inadequate recovery, poor travel or accommodation begin affecting performance?
What happens when medical support is uncertain?
What happens when a player wins a case but enforcement does not follow?
And what happens when he fears retaliation for speaking up?
Those are not side issues.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐.
๐๐ก ๐จ๐ก๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง๐
A football agent does not have to become a trade unionist to understand the professional consequences.
An unpaid player may become distracted.
An overloaded player may become fatigued.
A poorly protected player may become injured, discouraged or silent.
And once performance begins to suffer, opportunity can suffer with it.
Exposure can decline.
Foreign interest can disappear.
Market value can stagnate.
The next move may never come.
The damage therefore does not always stop with the player. The representative who invested time, relationships and professional credibility in that career may feel it too.
๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐.
๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก?
Accuracy matters.
FIFA requires agents to maintain regulatory knowledge and annual professional education, but its published licensing and Continuing Professional Development materials do not currently identify playersโ unions or FIFPRO education as a specific licensing requirement.
So this article does not claim that FIFA orders every agent to educate clients about their union.
But football governance has moved.
On ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ, FIFA formally recognised ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข as the global representative body for professional footballers and as the social partner representing players as employees.
Their agreement created a ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ and provides for collective work on the transfer system, player welfare, occupational safety and health, rest and recovery.
A licensed professional representing footballers should understand that landscape.
๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ช ๐ช๐๐ข ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐๐ ?
Nigeria has several organisations claiming forms of player representation.
The agent should not choose among them for the player.
Neither should the club, league, federation, academy owner or anyone else.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
But agents can ask useful questions:
Do you know which playersโ association represents you?
Did you choose it?
When was its last congress?
How are its leaders chosen?
Are active professional players involved in its decisions?
What can it do if your salary is unpaid?
Does it provide legal assistance?
Does it educate you about contracts and employment rights?
If it speaks publicly in your name, did you authorise it?
Do you trust it?
FIFPROโs statutes describe its members as representative and democratically organised playersโ associations, and FIFPRO has publicly stressed that legitimate player representation should be built from the players up through independent, accountable structures with a genuine player mandate.
๐ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ.
๐๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ง๐๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ
There is precedent.
On ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ๐ฐ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ญ, FIFPRO reported that Professional Footballers Australia had hosted its latest annual meeting with members of the Australian Football Agents Association.
Their discussion included injury insurance, bonuses, transfer rules and protection of young players.
The agents did not become union officials.
The union did not become an agentsโ association.
They remained independent while recognising that they served many of the same footballers.
Nigeria can study that principle without copying another countryโs structure.
๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ง๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ
If Nigerian football is serious about reform, reform cannot stop at federation headquarters.
It must travel through the entire system.
The league.
The clubs.
The playersโ unions.
The agents.
The academies.
The players themselves.
Everyone has rights.
Everyone also has responsibilities.
Players must honour contracts, rules and professional obligations.
Clubs must pay and fulfil contractual commitments.
Agents must maintain professional standards and understand the systems surrounding their clients.
Playersโ unions must demonstrate representation, democratic governance, regular engagement with active players, accountability and service.
Football authorities must provide credible oversight and enforce the rules fairly.
Reform cannot mean changing one office while allowing old habits to survive everywhere else.
It requires:
๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ.
๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
๐๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐.
Not in one direction.
๐๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
A new era cannot simply produce new leadership.
๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ.
๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐
Nigeriaโs FIFA-licensed football agents possess something valuable:
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐.
Use that knowledge before the player is already in crisis.
Know the channels available when salary stops.
Understand where contractual remedies exist.
Know which organisations claim to represent your clients and ask what services they actually provide.
Help players ask who speaks for them without choosing the answer for them.
Because the healthy player performs better.
The rested player performs better.
The properly paid player can concentrate better.
The protected player has a better chance to develop, attract attention and progress.
And the player who progresses creates opportunity not only for himself, but for everyone who has invested professionally in his career.
A FIFA licence should therefore mean more than being present when the contract is signed.
It should mean knowing enough to help the player understand the system surrounding that contract.
๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ.
๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ.
๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ถ๐บ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ.
๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐๐.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐น ๐๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐ข๐ธ๐ผ๐ธ๐
FIFA Legend | Former Nigeria Flying Eagles Vice-Captain | Former Super Eagles International | AFCON Silver Medalist | Football Historian | Football Analyst | Investigative Football Writer | Journalist-at-Large | Founder & CEO, Greater Tomorrow Childrenโs Fund (GTCF)
