SHOWBIZ grasped football by the throat when Eric Hall became an agent. And the wallet, of course.
He represented the shiftier side of our game. Proud of his roots in the East End, he was the little man’s Lew Grade who, in between puffing on a gigantic cigar, told whoppers and managed to add a few noughts to transfer fees.
Legendary football agent Eric Hall died last month aged 73Credit: Rex Features
For him, greed was not only good, it was his business. He had no real interest in the game. As he used to boast . . . “I ain’t interested in the clubs, I want all I can get for my players.”
For himself, too.
Hall died last month, aged 73. Tributes poured in from the usual suspects, ‘Razor’ Ruddock, Dennis Wise, Terry Venables. They all loved a “laff” with the little monster. To be honest, I did occasionally myself.
In showbiz his punk attitudes — he was a mate of the Sex Pistols — went down well. He could usually guarantee big publicity. Football was an open goal for his type, though.
His discovery was that it was rich at the top level and highly competitive, too. His was the copybook for the super-agents who have followed.
Somehow it is appropriate that at almost the same time he died, Fifa are finally putting forward proposals to control agents.
With hindsight, Eric was dealing in high stakes while today’s middlemen have been setting their own ever since Fifa ignominiously surrendered in trying to cut them down to size five years ago.
The figures are breathtaking. Fifa estimate that just under half a billion pounds was spent on agents’ fees, a rise on the previous year of 19.3 per cent.
The percentage of answers have been round up or down from their decimal points
And notoriously, Mino Raiola is reported as having taken away £25million when he represented Juventus, the selling club, Manchester United, the buyers, and Paul Pogba, the player, in 2016.
Raiola laughed all the way to the bank when he used about £9m of the Pogba haul to buy Al Capone’s house in Florida. But he may not be laughing for long as triple representation (acting for player, buyer and seller) will no longer be allowed if new rules are passed.
Fifa have been smarting for years. They have had to sit and watch as agents have ripped away their control of the game.
Now they are prepared to tackle their tormentors and resume as the regulating authority of the game.
Modern super agent Mino Raiola reeled in millions through client Paul PogbaCredit: Getty – Contributor
Raiola represented Pogba, United and Juventus but new rules could prevent a repeatCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Fifa is far, far from perfect. It has crippled itself through corruption in the executive committee that voted for Russia and Qatar as World Cup venues.
Still, they are all we have and if their latest proposals are the basis of new regulations then the boardrooms of every big club will stand and applaud.
Fifa aim to cap the amount agents can earn and also make them pass ‘character tests’ and be subject to a code of conduct which will include the fact that they will ‘always adhere to the truth’.
Well, that might be the hardest rule of all to enforce!
Watch Mino Raiola hang up on Simon Jordan in furious row over Ibrahimovic’s FIFA 21 image rights live on talkSPORT
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
