The course, outlined in the new FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR), will be mandatory for all agents globally to take from 1st October 2023 if they are to comply with Article 13.2 of the FFAR.
The course aims to enable agents to understand the regulations around the representation and international transfer of minors, practical aspects of working with minors, and to help them develop child-centred agent practices.
Designed and led by Dr Serhat Yilmaz, a Lecturer in Sports Law at School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS), the course is to be made available online, through the FIFA Agent Platform.
The team that developed the course included Dr Carolynne Mason, and Dr Daniel Rhind of SSEHS, Dr James Esson of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Professor Chris Harwood of Nottingham Trent University, and Richard Allen, Loughborough’s former Director of Football.
Dr Yilmaz said: “The representation of minors in football is complex. There are three core intertwined aspects that underpin this complexity.
“Firstly, football’s regulatory frameworks governing the representation and international transfer of minors are strict and comprehensive. Secondly, young talent development and career progression is not linear and straightforward but rather complex involving different pathways and trajectories.
“Finally, minors are children as well as players, hence their children’s rights need to be respected and realised. It is necessary that agents understand these core aspects to navigate the complexity in practice when working with minors.
“Therefore, this complexity is central to the course and those core aspects are its key learning pillars aiming to enable agents to achieve improved regulatory compliance, better strategic decision-making, and a child-centred approach respecting rights.
“This is the way the good agent practice is conceptualised within the course which we want football agents to develop in real life when representing minors.”
He added: “The course is researched-informed and combines the expertise of our multidisciplinary team.
“It has been a real privileged for to work with such a distinguished group of experts and FIFA on this exciting and important project which I believe will have a positive impact in the agent practice in football.”