Nottingham Forest will feel the effects of new regulations approved by FIFA today.
Football's world governing body have made two big decisions that affect agents in football and will also change the way clubs operate in both the summer and January transfer markets.
FIFA have signed off on their decision to impose a cap on the commission an agent can earn off a transfer deal, meaning Forest could end up saving millions of pounds on agents' fees in the medium-to-long term. They are also bringing an end to dual representation, which means one agent cannot represent both a club and a player in the same transfer.
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The latter is a common practice to make the process smoother and has not been a legal or moral issue in the eyes of many. It has been widely accepted as a legitimate part of the game, but FIFA have now decided to shake things up. So if Steve Cooper wanted City to sign a player, the club would have to use a different agent to broker the deal with the player's representative on their behalf.
Late super-agent Mino Raiola frequently spoke out about the issues that have been banned, while the biggest players in the industry today are also upset. Many of them feel the bans do not have a solid legal base, so there is a strong chance FIFA will be taken to court about the changes.
Agents at all levels of the game are upset by the decision, with one who operates largely in the EFL and National League telling NottinghamshireLive: "It's an absolute joke, to be honest with you. Many of us working at this level aren't earning the big bucks but at the end of the day, it's our whole industry that's getting a big shake-up here and it's not on.
"The money we get from commissions is our livelihood, most of us essentially earn our yearly income in three or four months of the year. I don't know what they think's going to happen but it's not going to end well for FIFA. It'll definitely be taken to court, 100 per cent, so I reckon the clubs won't be feeling the benefits for too long."
What are your thoughts on agents and the role they play in football? Let us know in the comments.
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