Agent error costs Arsenal
Monday, January 24, 2005
Article summary
Arsenal FC have received a suspended transfer ban for using an unlicensed agent to sign Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.
Article body
The English Football Association (FA) has fined Arsenal FC €15,000 for using an unlicensed agent.
Unlicensed agent
The FA announced on its official website that the English champions had been fined and also handed a suspended transfer ban for dealing with an agent who did not hold a FIFA licence while negotiating the contract of 18-year-old Dutch attacker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.
FIFA article
This contravened article 18(1) of the FIFA players' agents regulations, which states: "Clubs which wish to engage the services of a player may only deal either with the player himself or with a players' agent who holds a licence issued by a national association in compliance with the provisions of these regulations."
Ban threat
Arsenal have been told that should they be found guilty of a similar offence at any time in the two years following the beginning of the suspended sentence on 1 February, they will be banned from making any transfers at all for the duration of the subsequent transfer window.
