Zifa sets player agent fees

PERSONS interested in registering as official player intermediaries must have an irrevocable bank balance of $15 000 and be prepared to fork out $2 000 as annual registration fees, Zifa has announced.

The new figures are among a raft of changes the national association has put in place in an effort to curb a rising number of unscrupulous intermediaries who rip off desperate players and clubs. It is also in line with Fifa regulations on working with intermediaries that came into effect on April 1, 2015.

Zifa said people interested in being player intermediaries must have knowledge of Fifa regulations on working with intermediaries, a tertiary education certificate, police clearance as a test of good character and reputation, and a 12 months irrevocable bank guarantee of $15 000 from a reputable commercial bank.

“The applicant must also have a completed application form and Intermediary declaration form; they must have capacity to pay annual registration fees while previous experience as a player agent is added advantage,” read a Zifa statement.

In addition to the requirements for registration of individuals, Zifa said companies seeking to be accredited as intermediaries should submit company registration documents, police clearance, certificates for their shareholders, directors and management members.

“The annual registration fee is $2 000 for individuals and $3 000 for companies. The amount should be paid once the application has been approved,” reads the statement.

Fifa Regulations on working with intermediaries define an intermediary as “a natural or legal person who, for a fee or free of charge, represents players and/ or clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding an employment contract or represents clubs in negotiations with a view to concluding a transfer agreement”. The move by Zifa is in line with article three of the Fifa Regulations on Working with Intermediaries which reads: “For the sake of transparency, each association is required to implement a registration system for intermediaries that has to be publicised in accordance with article 6 paragraph 3 below. Intermediaries must be registered in the relevant registration system every time they are individually involved in a specific transaction.” Article 6, paragraph 3 calls on national associations to make publicly available at the end of March of every calendar year, for example on their official website, the names of all intermediaries they have registered as well as the single transactions in which they were involved. “In addition, associations shall also publish the total amount of all remunerations or payments actually made to intermediaries by their registered players and by each of their affiliated clubs. The figures to be published are the consolidated total figure for all players and the individual clubs’ consolidated total figure,” reads part of paragraph 3. The Fifa regulations on working with intermediaries also state that the total amount of remuneration per transaction due to intermediaries who have been engaged to act on a player’s behalf should not exceed three per cent of the player’s basic gross income for the entire duration of the relevant employment contract. It is expected that the move will clip the wings of some greedy intermediaries, some of who are alleged to demand an equal share with the player.

“The annual registration fee is $2 000 for individuals and $3 000 for companies. The amount should be paid once the application has been approved”