(Reuters) – FIFA has temporarily suspended its new agent regulations (FFAR) worldwide until the European Court of Justice gives its decision following injunctions against implementing some of the new rules, world soccer’s governing body said on Saturday.
Agents have been at loggerheads with FIFA after they lost an appeal in July to block new regulations that would cap their transfer commissions and introduce exams that agents must pass to secure a licence.
However, courts in Germany and Spain issued temporary injunctions against implementing some of the regulations in domestic transfers earlier this year.
FIFA has initiated appeal proceedings against the injunction in Germany and a decision is expected early in 2024.
To comply with the injunction FIFA said it would suspend the implementation of FFAR for any transfer which has a link to the European Union. But it has made the suspension global to ensure a level playing field and avoid problems with international transfers to or from the continent.
“On 30 December 2023 the Bureau of the Council approved the worldwide temporary suspension of the FFAR rules… until the European Court of Justice renders a final decision in the pending procedures concerning the FFAR,” FIFA said in a circular to member associations.
The mid-season transfer window in Europe opens on Jan. 1.
Earlier this month, an English FA tribunal also ruled that the proposed regulations were incompatible with British competition law.
The tribunal was set up in June when agencies CAA Base, Wasserman, Stellar and ARETE challenged the implementation of FIFA’s new regulations in the National Football Agent Regulations (NFAR) for English domestic transfers.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
