By Andrew Warshaw in Astana
March 27 – UEFA president Michel Platini laid down the gauntlet to FIFA today to stop “hiding behind committees” and have the “political courage” to get far tougher on Third Party Ownership (TPO), declaring that European football would otherwise go it alone in their own competitions to stamp out the growing practise.
Slamming “anonymous individuals” just out to make a quick buck, Platini warned transfer money was “vanishing into thin air” as he opened the annual UEFA Congress in the futuristic capital of Kazakhstan.
With FIFA president Sepp Blatter, whose once rock-solid relationship with Platini has cooled in recent years, sitting in the front row of Astana’s Palace of Independence, Platini went on the offensive, all but accusing FIFA of washing its hands of TPO which has its roots in South America but is increasingly widespread in countries like Spain and Portugal.
“Mr Blatter, you ask things of us, such as solidarity with other continents, and we do as you ask,” said Platini from the podium. “This time, we have something to ask of you. I want to take advantage of your presence here today to make a solemn request: please have the political courage to deal with this problem once and for all.
“There comes a time when you have to stop hiding behind committees, sub-committees, studies by expert groups and academic reports.
“The amount of money that vanishes into thin air in a single transfer exceeds the entire annual budget for your global solidarity programme, GOAL. Do you realise what that means? Do you consider that normal? I, for one, do not.
“If FIFA fails to act, we will address this issue in our own competitions in Europe. The UEFA Executive Committee has already adopted a position on this issue in principle, and we will see this through. I do not want to be complicit in these practices, and at the moment I have the nasty feeling that I am.”
Platini said the dubious process by which companies or individuals own the economic rights of players and take a portion of international transfer fees was now one of the biggest dangers facing the game.
In his hard-hitting address to the 54-nation UEFA membership, Platini charged: “I have been constantly warning for years that this practice – which is becoming increasingly widespread – is a danger to our sport.
“It threatens the integrity of our competitions, damages football’s image, poses a long-term threat to clubs’ finances and even raises questions about human dignity.
“When I was a player, I went on strike because players belonged to their clubs and therefore failed to enjoy real freedom.
“Today, players are certainly not the property of their clubs, but something worse is happening instead. Increasingly, players are owned by opaque companies based in tax havens and controlled by some unknown agent or investment fund.
“Quite simply, some players are no longer in control of their own sporting careers and are transferred each year to generate revenue for anonymous individuals who just want to get their hands on some of the money in football.
“The English FA were the first to recognise the dangers of this practice and the moral and ethical problems that it poses. As a result they banned third-party ownership. They acted swiftly and decisively, and I congratulate them on that. But this is a global problem, and the issue should be regulated at global level.”
On the occasion of UEFA’s 60th anniversary, Platini also announced the launching of a new Children’s Foundation funded by UEFA.
“Who knows, ” said Platini, “the next Cristiano Ronaldo could be growing up in Moldova and we need to do everything we can to encourage the development of all children in the sport.”
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