FIFA fail to police rules on agents says English boss

FIFA are failing to police their own regulations on players' agents, the chairman of the English Football League said yesterday.

Brian Mawhinney, speaking on the second day of Soccerex, the international football trade fair, also attacked the English Football Association for its failure to implement the rules of world soccer's governing body.

Mawhinney said the FA had planned to adopt FIFA's regulations that specify players may only be represented by one agent at a board meeting last week.

But instead of forwarding the proposal to the FA Council for formal confirmation, the board drop-ped it from their agenda.

"They fell at the first hurdle," Mawhinney said.

"The clause relevant to this was withdrawn. It was there at the start, but it was taken out during the course of the board meeting.

"I have heard the expression that the Premier League tail wags the Football Association dog but, of course, I don't want to say that here and get into trouble."

The Football League represents lower league clubs, below the Premier League.

Mawhinney said it was up to FIFA, represented at the forum by director of communications Markus Siegler, to defend their own regulations and make sure they were enforced.

Siegler said it was virtually impossible for FIFA to police how regulations were implemented by all the 207 member associations.

Mawhinney said he did not question the existence, or use, of agents in soccer.

But he believed it was important for soccer, particularly in England, to work in a more transparent manner so that fans, the public and the media were not disillusioned by the image created by reports of agents' activities.