⚖️ Episode 3 — Agents, Unlicensed Practice & Conflicts of Interest: The CONCACAF Realities
In this episode, we examine one of the most critical fault lines in modern football governance — the regulation of player agents.
Despite FIFA’s clear regulatory framework under the FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR), unlicensed practice and conflicts of interest remain deeply entrenched across CONCACAF. These are not minor compliance lapses — they are structural risks that threaten contractual integrity, player protection, and the credibility of the transfer system itself.
⚖️ Key Discussion Points
* The FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR): the global standard governing licensing, representation, and remuneration of agents, designed to safeguard transparency and professionalism.
* The Football Tribunal’s Enforcement Role: how the Tribunal and its sub-chambers (Players’ Status, Agents, and Dispute Resolution) are reshaping global accountability through consistent jurisprudence and procedural uniformity.
* Unlicensed Practice: the continuing presence of unregistered intermediaries and dual-role actors—club executives, coaches, or owners—performing representation functions in violation of FFAR Articles 5–9.
* Conflicts of Interest: why overlapping roles within the same transaction undermine fiduciary duty, distort competition, and expose clubs and players to sanction.
* The European Football Agents Association (EFAA): leading global compliance advocacy; Pitchside Sports Consulting remains the only firm across Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean recognized on the EFAA Lawyers Network, underscoring our mandate to bridge this regulatory gap in the region.
🎯 Why This Matters
In a global transfer market exceeding USD 9 billion annually, regulatory negligence is no longer sustainable.
For CONCACAF to advance, agents, clubs, and federations must align with FIFA’s international standards and the Football Tribunal’s jurisprudence — the benchmarks that define lawful conduct in player representation.
đź“š Recommended Reading
* FIFA Football Agent Regulations (2023 Edition)
* Football Tribunal Annual Report (2024)
* CAS 2016/A/4490 Diarra v. FIFA
* Football Legal Journal — “Agents & Accountability in the New Regulatory Era”
đź“Ť Pitchside Sports Consulting (PSC)Headquartered in Canada and operating across North & Central America and the Caribbean.
Delivering regulatory expertise, compliance solutions, and dispute advocacy before FIFA and CAS.
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