'Super-agent' Raiola threatens FIFA with legal action over commission caps

Lausanne (AFP) – A group of football agents led by “super-agent” Mino Raiola has threatened FIFA with legal action over a proposed cap on transfer commissions, documents seen by AFP on Thursday show.

The Football Agents Forum (FAF), an organisation led by Paul Pogba’s agent Raiola, invoked the courts after world football’s governing body agreed in principle to limit commissions on player sales to 10 percent and salary commissions to three percent for both player and club agents.

FAF accused FIFA of restraining “free competition” in a letter sent on October 18, and said the regulations — set to be applied from next season — would violate antitrust law.

“We continue to hope that FIFA and all associations involved will understand the situation and refrain from implementing the proposals and that they will instead enter into an open dialogue with us,” said the letter signed by Raiola, German agent Roger Wittmann and Gareth Bale’s representative Jonathan Barnett.

“If not, the courts will have to decide about the validity and compensation for the incurred damages.”

FIFA replied on November 5 in another letter seen by AFP which said that the measures, yet to be officially adopted by the body, were drawn up after an “extensive consultation process” which “included the agents as well”.

Raiola, who also represents Zlatan Ibrahimovic and other big-name players, took part in one of the four formal meetings held with agents last year, FIFA told AFP.

“The entire package of measures aims to improve transparency, protect player welfare, enhance contractual stability and also raise professional and ethical standards,” FIFA’s reply said.

As well as capping commissions, FIFA’s new regulations aim to limit agents from “multiple representation”, or the widespread practice of agents brokering the same deal for both player and club.

“In so doing, the measures aim to eliminate or at least reduce the abusive and excessive practices which unfortunately have existed in football,” FIFA added.

In October 2016 former Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta said that Raiola earned 27 million euros from the sale of France international Pogba from Juve to Manchester United that summer.