Fifa to revamp transfer rules to curb foul-play
Posted by Syimah Saturday, 27 February 2010 10:15
Traditionally, international transfers have been carried out by faxes between the national associations involved — a system which FIFA say has been open to all kinds of abuse.
"Until now, transfers have been handled on paper, the way it was 100 years ago," said Mark Goddard, general manager of the new Transfer Matching System (TMS).
"We've had imaginary transfers of players who didn't exist, players who have been made up, all this has been basically going on." Goddard said that under TMS, Fifa will be able to keep a much closer watch on the international transfer market.
To complete a transfer, both the buying and selling clubs must enter a number of details into the web-based system, including the transfer fee, the player's salary, the agent or lawyer involved and the length of the contract. The money must be transferred from and to a bank account.
One of the biggest changes will be to prevent third parties from owning players, a practice common in South America.
Third-party ownership came to prominence when West Ham United bought Argentina's Carlos Tevez, who had previously been playing at Corinthians.
West Ham were fined £5.5m in Apr 2007 when the Premier League ruled that Tevez's transfer rights were partly owned by a private company.
Another rule is that football academies, which have sprouted in Africa, often run by European clubs, will have to field teams in local amateur or professional competitions before they can sell players.
Fifa believe the new system will end disputes over whether clubs have been paid or not for a player and over whether a deal was completed before transfer window deadlines.
So far, 144 national associations and 2,010 clubs participate in the system, which is due to be fully implemented by October.
However, Fifa officials were given a difficult reception when they visited Brazil.
FIFA officials said the clubs had all lined up their legal officials, who had learned the FIFA statutes off by heart and picked holes in the TMS.
One of the big questions is how well the new system can be enforced, as it is up to the clubs to correctly enter the information into the system.Reuters
