Italian agent Giovanni Branchini insists he and his peers have asked to be regulated, but “FIFA has stayed quiet” on the issue.
Notoriety regarding agents has reached an all-time high of late, with Mino Raiola’s roles in Paul Pogba’s world-record return to Manchester United from Juventus last summer and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s recent refusal to sign a new contract with Milan particularly condemned.
Italian agent Giovanni Branchini insists he and his peers have asked to be regulated, but “FIFA has stayed quiet” on the issue.
Notoriety regarding agents has reached an all-time high of late, with Mino Raiola’s roles in Paul Pogba’s world-record return to Manchester United from Juventus last summer and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s recent refusal to sign a new contract with Milan particularly condemned.
“Seventy percent of transfers are irregular? That’s fantasy. A club or player has never been punished,” Branchini told Gazzetta dello Sport, as part of its investigation into agents.
“To regulate this industry, there needs to be constant control. Enough with the impromptu demagoguery.
“Make no mistake, [there needs to be] certain rules and a system that punishes violations, especially in terms of transparency.
“Now Federations are collecting aggregate data on agents’ earnings and performing analysis to understand the reasons for certain expenses.
“We guarantee maximum collaboration and we’ve asked to be partners with the FIGC.
“They’ve given us citizenship rights in the world of football. FIFA, on the other hand, has stayed quiet.
“In the case of Donnarumma, his agent had a duty to take his time, while with Pogba, I think I have to criticise Manchester United.
“Youngsters? They need more balance when being judged. Locatelli, for example, was blamed right away and slaughtered shortly afterwards [for his red card against Juventus].
“Even Balotelli was immediately hailed a champion, despite having a limited football vocabulary.”