FIFA Hit with €150,000 Fine by German Court

FIFA, the governing body of international football, has been hit with a €150,000 administrative fine after a German court found the organization to have violated a ruling made in favor of agents.

The district court in Dortmund, Germany, said FIFA’s regulations ignored the difference between agents operating in Germany and within the European Union. As seen by dpa, the ruling said FIFA had failed to take the verdict from May into consideration.

The new regulations, brought into effect on 1 January, intended to make the football transfer system fairer and more transparent. As part of these rules, a FIFA license became mandatory for agents with a cap imposed on fees they can charge. The transition period for these regulations ends on 1 October, with only licensed agents then allowed to work in the industry.

Read more: Appeals Court Rules FIFA, US Soccer Must Face Antitrust Suit

A representative from FIFA said they had taken note of the ruling and had already begun the appeal process. “FIFA said that it had taken note of the ruling and that it ‘has already initiated appeal proceedings against the interim injunction and reserves the right to appeal against the latest writ of execution,” said the representative.

This is not the first time the German Football Federation (DFB) has run into trouble with similar regulations. The Dortmund court also imposed the same €150,000 administrative fine on the DFB earlier in the year. The DFB regulations have since been referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), where they are being tested against European antitrust laws.

This latest ruling from the Dortmund court serves as a clear reminder of the importance of fairness and transparency throughout the football agent and transfer system. It will be interesting to see how FIFA responds to this ruling.

Source: Star Connect Media