FIFA approves agents' double play

Although the statutes of the Danish Football Association (DFA) prohibit double-dealing by football businessmen, a firm of agents has succeeded in dragging approval out of FIFA, thereby allowing the firm to neglect player agent duties and infringe the regulations laid down by the Danish Football Association.

Ekstra Bladet is publishing the contents of a so-called standard representative contract, four pages in length. The parties of the contract are Danish player agent John Sivebæk, representing Proactive Sports Management Scandinavia A/S, and a Danish football player. The contract was signed, stamped and dated by the Danish Football Association on 2 April 2002.

The contract's appendix clearly states, among other things, that "as a result of Proactive's position in the professional consultancy market, it is possible for other Proactive player agents to represent the buying or selling club. In such instances, the consultancy services provided to the player by the agent will still be unbiased, and the player agent guarantees that no other partnerships or similar will have been entered into with any other player agents that might result in conflicts of interest," are the words in the contract approved by FIFA.

The wording of the contract is at direct odds with the player agent regulations laid down by the Danish Football Association, whereby a player agent who is licensed to work in Denmark, such as John Sivebæk, may only represent one of the parties in negotiations regarding club transfers. Similarly, the regulations of the Danish Football Association stipulate that a player agent may not be contractually involved nor share a community of interests with any other parties involved in a club transfer.

"As far as I can see, the contract in question is a standard agreement which Proactive submitted to FIFA at one point and got them to approve," says Jim Stjerne Hansen, General Secretary of DFA, to Ekstra Bladet. "We are forced to approve a player contract with Proactive in lieu of anything else."

Isn't this at odds with your own player agent regulations?

"Yes, it is. But as I said, Proactive has obtained FIFA's approval based on the wording in the appendix. We've discussed the matter in the contract football committee. But we are forced to accept the fact that the approval has been issued by FIFA and for the time being, FIFA has not withdrawn the exemption," says Jim Stjerne Hansen.

What is your personal opinion of the exemption issued by FIFA to Proactive?

"I prefer to keep my personal opinion to myself. We'll have to wait for FIFA to decide what they are willing to accept," says the General Secretary of the DFA.

After Ekstra Bladet 's disclosure of Proactive's 'double dealings', DFA sent a letter to FIFA requesting the attitude of the international football association in the matter.