Corruption in the Football Industry

I was in the Middle East, maybe just 6 months into being an agent, when I became aware a particular individual wanted to meet me to influence my decision making by offering a financial incentive.

I flat out rejected meeting this individual. I understand the offer was to convince me not to complete a deal I had for a player, so that he could bring another deal to that player.

It was like being in a film. You hear the stories of corruption. You hear about the seedy world of the football agent but I didn’t expect to be exposed to it so early on in my burgeoning career at the time.

I realised these types of individuals could dominate through their ease of paying agents, coaches, players, families or whatever it took to manipulate the right deals for themselves. The hardest thing to realise was this basic and obvious level of corruption was not restricted to the Middle East.

Even at the most innocent, non-financially rewarding areas of the industry there is always someone ready to fight their way to get 100 pounds stuffed in their back pockets. As if it is something of a right for being part of a multi billion pound industry – they are due a little extra slice.

When I hear it going on, there is always that thought in the back of my mind, do I really want to be involved in muddy waters? I have to consciously avoid getting into situations in ways you wouldn’t even hence to think about in the sanctuary of a typical office job.

I have young clients today who are not even professionals. However, you’ll hear stories about how an agent offered the father a couple thousand pounds if he could get his son to sign with that agency. You’ll hear stories of agencies offering cars and holidays to players and families. There will always be an agent beast out there ready to exploit families financial and structural positions (particularly divorced parents) by offering them an incentive difficult for them not to accept.

Don’t for a second believe these agents aren’t being backed up by a club employee themselves though more times than not. Agents, licensed or unlicensed, do not operate in a vacuum.

These scrupulous agents will collude with coaches and any club staff willing to promise them a bonus if they can get that member of club staff to encourage a player to sign with the agency. This happens more than one would think.

I’m not saying all clubs and club officials are influenced by agents or otherwise, there are some fantastic individuals in the industry, but likewise, like life, there are those prepared to dabble.

It is clear certain club staff will receive money on the back of transfers too. This all exists in the industry. Having worked for one of world’s largest organisation in Microsoft, I know how imperative it is to observe the law and recall the extensive training on corruption there, but football can be like the wild west – and they don’t care who knows.

Then again why would they care who knows particularly when debate over the legitimacy of decisions made within the world’s football governing body are also so prominent in the press.

With so much palaver at the top of the football pyramid going on, not much attention is going into what happens lower down. Then in addition to that it seems FIFA is going to get rid of the need for an agent to have a license so anyone can be an agent perhaps from next year. As a result of this and a new wave of those willing to do anything to be involved in football, I can only see corruption in the industry getting worse before if and when it gets better.

The biggest annoyance I have is on the odd occasion I won’t be able to close a deal without the possibility of someone asking to be paid, a club official or another agent acting for one at the last minute. I won’t do it. This means it doesn’t matter how good you are at being an agent, or selling/closing, the repeated question any fairly active agent is being asked at one time or another as they forge their career is not are you a good business person? But instead... are you corruptible?

So with that you have the embryo of the possibly accurate stereotype of the wildly successful football agent. Whereas the real question should be how the embryo is formed.