Football super-agent Rafaela Pimenta, who represents Erling Haaland, has called for change to the sport's transfer system on the eve of deadline day. The Brazilian lawyer, 53, believes clubs currently hold too much power over players.
Pimenta, who inherited her client list from the late Mino Raiola, told the BBC: “There needs to be a change; there's too much power for clubs, players are sometimes hostages of situations.” She added that a balance must be found between treating players as assets and respecting their human needs.
Her comments come after the European Court of Justice ruled last October that parts of FIFA's transfer rules are anti-competitive and restrict freedom of movement. The ruling followed Lassana Diarra's lawsuit over a failed 2014 transfer.
FIFPRO, the global players' union, welcomed the verdict, stating it “will change the landscape of professional football”. However, FIFA played down the significance, insisting only two paragraphs of two articles were questioned and that key principles of the transfer system were reconfirmed.
Pimenta also represents Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and Manchester United pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. She urged football to return to a more human approach, where club directors would find solutions for players needing to move.
