Hugo Lloris

[Bullet]

You lot are talking nonsense, by the way. Enjoy it.

 

[Finney Is Back]

The entire sport would be significantly better if everyone followed his lead.

Perhaps, though I can only imagine the amount of uneducated young players that would get terribly exploited.

 

[Finney Is Back]

A club can only take advantage of a player nobody else wants. If nobody else wants the player then they're probably not worth all that much.

A player without an agent would have no idea of who actually wants him.

 

[Finney Is Back]

In what way? Players will know roughly what each other gets paid. They can hire a lawyer to check over the contract to make sure it's what they agreed to and above board. Job done.

Football clubs would love that to happen. The players would do far less well however.

 

[monkeybarry]

You lot are talking nonsense, by the way. Enjoy it.

New here?!

 

[Finney Is Back]

If Estate agents move you into a house only to tell you the day after the house is crap and you should be aiming for another straight away.....

Slightly different…. Agents are serving the interests of a client. An equivalent analogy here is an estate agent selling a house for somebody who go buys a new house and then the agent informing that same client that they can sell their new house and make even more money…. I really do find it strange that there a few on here that seem to think that agents aren’t beneficial to professional footballers.

 

[monkeybarry]

It feels like a very low-key and somewhat shabby ending to his time here. Not sure who or what’s to blame but surely he deserves better.

He came out and very clearly addressed it when he spoke about the agent that called him late on deadline day about joining Nice.
He wasn't prepared to join a project with full understanding of it and will full respect and understanding of what him joining meant to the other players, especially the GK, in that team.
The guy has solid principles.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Big difference. Estate agents typically charge between 0.9 and 3.6% of the cost of selling the house. Football agents got up to 40% of some deals (pogba to utd being one). Getting paid by both the selling club and buying club. Where they actually should be paid by the player as at the end of the day. He is who they are supposed to work for. Clubs also pay the agent loyalty fees for players to stay at their club and do the job they are paid to do.

I’m pretty sure that agents can no longer work for parties on both sides of the deal.

Agents (working for a player) are paid an an amount of a player’s contract with a club as specified in the player/agent contract. A players’ contract with a club consists of wages and signing on fee (spread over the length of the contract and referred to as a loyalty bonus).

The sporting agency business is huge and incredibly competitive. Agencies are trying to undercut other agencies all of the time.

 

[Grays_1890]

Slightly different…. Agents are serving the interests of a client. An equivalent analogy here is an estate agent selling a house for somebody who go buys a new house and then the agent informing that same client that they can sell their new house and make even more money…. I really do find it strange that there a few on here that seem to think that agents aren’t beneficial to professional footballers.

Beneficial, yeh to players who want to lose the hassle and pay a % absolutely

Essential? Not by a long shot IMO

 

[Lilbaz]

I’m pretty sure that agents can no longer work for parties on both sides of the deal.

Agents (working for a player) are paid an an amount of a player’s contract with a club as specified in the player/agent contract. A players’ contract with a club consists of wages and signing on fee (spread over the length of the contract and referred to as a loyalty bonus).

The sporting agency business is huge and incredibly competitive. Agencies are trying to undercut other agencies all of the time.

Oh wait. So clubs would exploit uneducated players but agents wouldn't?

Watch this you might learn that players have no idea what their agreement with their agent is as the clubs pay them. They think they are free.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Oh wait. So clubs would exploit uneducated players but agents wouldn't?

Watch this you might learn that players have no idea what their agreement with their agent is as the clubs pay them. They think they are free.

Nothing in there at all that shows why a player doesn’t need representation, I would say it actually argues that players absolutely need good representation…. I could give you many, many horror stories of numerous clubs exploiting players who don’t have any (or at least decent) representation.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Beneficial, yeh to players who want to lose the hassle and pay a % absolutely

Essential? Not by a long shot IMO

I’d rather not talk openly on here about situations that my Dad and some of his colleagues and peers came across in the football industry, some of them are shocking though in terms of exploitation….. and there was absolutely a direct relationship between players with no (or poor/inexperienced) representation and terrible contracts.

The poorer the background the kid came from the more he got exploited. In many ways agents like Sky Andrew made a living through being able to be an advocate for young, uneducated, black males and stop them getting exploited by clubs.

My Dad had a few run ins with Sky back in the day and he is far from my favourite person but his clients were definitely better off with him than without representation.

 

[Grays_1890]

I’d rather not talk openly on here about situations that my Dad and some of his colleagues and peers came across in the football industry, some of them are shocking though in terms of exploitation….. and there was absolutely a direct relationship between players with no (or poor/inexperienced) representation and terrible contracts. The poorer the background the kid came from the more he got exploited. In many ways agents like Sky Andrew made a living through being able to be an advocate for young, uneducated, black males and stop them getting exploited by clubs.

Of course thats fair, I am sure it happens but I am sure that there are agents in places who also act for their own benefit and exploit the players. Its a big subject, one thats probably bigger than what can be communicated on a forum TBH

I'm not saying they don't help on some cases but footballs like life, some will need agents and some won't. If I was a supremely talented footballer I could know my worth and negotiate my own contract and use a sports lawyer to have it checked and ratified, I wouldn't just have an agent for the sake of it. Conversely if I was stuck in the reserves and thought I could get a better gig elsewhere I might pay one to facilitate something better for sure, but again I wouldn't just use them for the sake of it. That's why I say I don't think they are essential, I think everyone has one because it's the thing to have and it's convenient.

I'm sure in many cases they earn their buck, but I'm also certain they get paid for old rope in other circumstances

 

[FatBloke]

Of course thats fair, I am sure it happens but I am sure that their are agents in places who also act for their own benefit and exploit the players. Its a big subject, one thats probably bigger than what can be communicated on a forum TBH

Of course, it could be both. Agents getting great deals for their players while at the same time exploiting those players. Encouraging them to go to Club X who have nice big brown envelopes. Touting them around without regard to what's the best for them and their short careers. Like everything, it's a sliding scale.

I'm sure some agents are brilliant and can be relied upon to give good advice to their clients -- who are young men, often disadvantaged, and sometimes barely numerate.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Of course thats fair, I am sure it happens but I am sure that their are agents in places who also act for their own benefit and exploit the players. Its a big subject, one thats probably bigger than what can be communicated on a forum TBH

My Dad barely covered his expenses with a lot of the work he did for young players in the game, he absolutely always tried to act in the players’ best interests only and yet for a vast majority of those players they would often have been better off financially with an agent like a Sky Andrew who had more sway with clubs and better contacts.

My Dad actually volunteered up players to bigger agencies who he felt could serve their interests better.

it is an uneducated, ill informed opinion that the game would be better (for the players) if their weren’t football agents. I’ve seen first hand how young, uneducated, un/badly represented players get treated by clubs.

 

[Lilbaz]

Nothing in there at all that shows why a player doesn’t need representation, I would say it actually argues that players absolutely need good representation…. I could give you many, many horror stories of numerous clubs exploiting players who don’t have any (or at least decent) representation.

Representation doesn't have to be an agent. A lawyer paid by the hour. A representative from the pfa (the whole point of a union is to stop exploitation).

As for they wouldn't know who were after them. Hire a personal assistant to deal with that.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

Big difference. Estate agents typically charge between 0.9 and 3.6% of the cost of selling the house. Football agents got up to 40% of some deals (pogba to utd being one). Getting paid by both the selling club and buying club. Where they actually should be paid by the player as at the end of the day. He is who they are supposed to work for. Clubs also pay the agent loyalty fees for players to stay at their club and do the job they are paid to do.

The point is estate agents don't need to exist. They're worthless in the process.

 

[Grays_1890]

My Dad barely covered his expenses with a lot of the work he did for young players in the game, he absolutely always tried to act in the players’ best interests only and yet for a vast majority of those players they would often have been better off financially with an agent like a Sky Andrew who had more sway with clubs and better contacts.

My Dad actually volunteered up players to bigger agencies who he felt could serve their interests better.

it is an uneducated, ill informed opinion that the game would be better (for the players) if their weren’t football agents. I’ve seen first hand how young, uneducated, un/badly represented players get treated by clubs.

Im not making a blanket statement to that because I also know 3 agents, two closely and I get some work very hard and are very good at what they do. But I don't buy that they are needed universally and I don't believe that all are working with the players best interests, whilst some absolutely are. I have a mate whose son is on the books at West Ham now and I see regularly how some act, one turning up at Billericay town car park to basically try and bribe his parents to take him on and he was a lacky from a pretty well known agency, thats not in the interest of the player, thats hedging your bets that he makes it and you get your % moving forward.

 

[FatBloke]

Representation doesn't have to be an agent. A lawyer paid by the hour. A representative from the pfa (the whole point of a union is to stop exploitation).

As for they wouldn't know who were after them. Hire a personal assistant to deal with that.

All that implies knowing what you need. As a 20 year old, would I have had the gumption to go and find a lawyer? Get in touch with my union when I needed some advice? Almost certainly not -- I was a fudgewit. A fairly numerate, literate, IT-savvy fudgewit, but a fudgewit nonetheless.

I can't see the clubs making that sort of advice easy to get by default, as there's a conflict of interest. And the likes of the PFA couldn't feasibly assign an advisor to every young footballer.

Instead, some guy comes along promising the earth, whispering nice-sounding advice. If you're lucky, it's someone like Finney's dad. Or a family member -- but then, how's Charlie Kane worked out?

 

[Lilbaz]

All that implies knowing what you need. As a 20 year old, would I have had the gumption to go and find a lawyer? Get in touch with my union when I needed some advice? Almost certainly not -- I was a fudgewit. A fairly numerate, literate, IT-savvy fudgewit, but a fudgewit nonetheless.

I can't see the clubs making that sort of advice easy to get by default, as there's a conflict of interest. And the likes of the PFA couldn't feasibly assign an advisor to every young footballer.

Instead, some guy comes along promising the earth, whispering nice-sounding advice. If you're lucky, it's someone like Finney's dad. Or a family member -- but then, how's Charlie Kane worked out?

Why would you need an advisor for every player? An agent can have loads of players on their books.

Just make it a requirement that a pfa representative has to be involved in any contract or transfer negotiations (they can get the player in touch with a lawyer). Player can call them if required to settle any disputes. Even hire agents (that will be out of work) to do the job at a set fee.

The pfa could even negotiate with the fa/uefa to have a standardised contract for players. The only difference being how much they get paid and the length.

Hell even get rid of transfer windows and have auctions for players.