FIFA records mass failures at license-seeking agents examination
Almost half of those taking a new football agent exam so they can be licensed by Fifa failed the test, the sport’s world governing body says.
Earlier this month 3,800 people sat the exam, of which 48% failed.
They will now have to retake the exam on 20 September, shortly before it becomes mandatory for all agents to be licensed on 1 October.
It is designed to boost standards and “raise the professional and ethical standards of the profession”.
In 2021, Fifa outlined its plan to bring greater transparency to transfers and cut down on excesses that, in some instances, has seen agents being paid more for negotiating a deal than players were due in wages.
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The Football Association recently reported how Premier League clubs spent £320m on agents’ fees in the past year, up from £272.6m the previous year.
Candidates from 138 Fifa member associations took the hour-long exam, which featured 20 multiple-choice questions and a pass mark of 75%.
The 1,962 who passed will receive a Fifa licence to “provide agent services in the context of transfers worldwide”.
There are further resits in May and November next year for those who failed and wish to carry on working as intermediaries.
However, from the beginning of October, unlicensed agents will not be allowed to work on transfers, contract negotiations or speak to clubs.
Around 900 agents registered before 2015 are classed as ‘legacy’ agents and do not need to take the exam.