Agents in the UEFA spotlight

Players' agents and the trafficking of child footballers have been identified by UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson as two major areas of concern facing the European football authorities.

Olsson also told Friday's Play Fair With Sport conference in Strasbourg, organized by UEFA and the Council of Europe, that players, especially élite footballers, were an invaluable tool in the fight against racism in the game.

"The issue of players' agents is one of the key problems that we have to address today," added Olsson, who has highlighted a need for a better control of agents and their activities, because of the financial amounts that they are handling or as a result of agents' conduct. "We are not afraid to act against agents. What we are asking for is firm legislation on agents and their activities."

Turning to the trafficking of young footballers, Mr Olsson described as "alarming" the situation whereby they could be brought to Europe and then left on the streets if they failed to make the grade. "Bringing young children from Africa and South America into Europe is a major problem, and we have to address it," he said. "Proper rules and regulations on agents would help."

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.