Football agents need to be more transparent, says local MEP

The secretive world of football agents who represent players and football clubs needs to be more transparent Emma McClarkin, MEP for the East Midlands, has said at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Ms McClarkin, the Conservative Culture and Sports spokesperson, has highlighted the risk of unfair deals and exploitation when the football agent who represents a player also works for the club trying to sign the footballer.

However, Ms McClarkin stressed that any regulation of the work of football agents should be developed by national sporting governing bodies and authorities like FIFA and UEFA, not the EU.

Emma McClarkin comments from the European Parliament in Strasbourg:

“Dual representation where a football agent represents a player as well as the club trying to sign that footballer clearly needs to be addressed.

“I fully support efforts to make the activities of sports agents, mainly in football, more transparent.

“However, it is not the EU’s place to be regulating the sporting world. We should only intervene upon the request of the sporting governing bodies where we can clearly deliver value or give clarity to sporting issues.”