Europe to end clubs’ transfer-window pain
THE transfer-window blunder by Premier League clubs in setting their deadline weeks before the rest of Europe will be resolved next year.
The other European leagues are due to bring forward the closure of their windows to match the PL date of around August 10 — on the eve of the first round of fixtures.
English clubs who failed to get deals across the line because of this summer’s early closure are struggling to shift players on loan, having no negotiating position with continental clubs who realise they are desperate to move players on and have nowhere else to go.
All European leagues agreeing on one date is included in a 109-page document doing the rounds as part of FIFA’s efforts to regulate agents.
Difficulties have seen the reforms, due to be launched in the new year, put back until the start of next season.
Disputes still to be worked through include FIFA wanting a five per cent cap on agents’ fees but allowing the middle men or women to represent both club and player in the same deal.
However, the Premier League are not concerned about limiting agents’ fees and are not accepting dual representation at any price.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST have paid controversial former owner Fawaz Al Hasawi £50,000 in legal costs after losing the first round of a court battle over his claim for £4.2million. The sum is allegedly owed from a series of agreed payments from the sale of the club now owned by Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis. Al Hasawi (above) said: ‘I regret I had to take legal action but was left with no choice after the refusal to pay what is due.’
THE ECB’s legal representatives from Onside Law kept their distance from Ben Stokes’s team during his Bristol trial. The ECB are well aware that Stokes being found not guilty of affray means he could now launch a restraint- of-trade case against them for banning him from the whole Ashes tour last winter ahead of his trial, although he was paid his central contract throughout.
Meanwhile, it caused great amusement on the England cricketers’ WhatsApp group when, after Stokes was cleared, someone posted a video clip of Stokes smacking England team-mate Jonny Bairstow in the face by mistake while celebrating the fall of a wicket.
PREMIER
LEAGUE executive chairman Richard Scudamore, who announced he was leaving in June, intends to stay in office until December 14 to complete all the overseas TV deals in the new rights cycle starting next season. The long notice period is just as well, because finding a new CEO plus a two-day-a-week chairman to replace Scudamore is likely to be a lengthy process. The only name linked so far with the CEO position is Nike executive Charlie Brooks.