The former forward of Chelsea, Didier Drogba, said soccer players in Africa often fall prey to bogus agents who sell promises of fame and fortune. Through his foundation, Drogba has partnered with international footballers’ union FIFPRO and the International Labor Organization to raise awareness of the dangers.
“Please, I need you to listen to this,” said Drogba, a former Ivory Coast international, in an animated campaign video for the players. “Be careful who you trust. Never trust someone who wants your money.” FIFPRO recently surveyed 263 players from seven African countries and found that more than 70% were contacted unsolicited by someone who promised to help them switch clubs.
Most often, the players contacted were offered the opportunity for a trial (43%) or a contract with a club (39%), and 56% were not promised a trial, while 44% were not. expected to sign.
“FIFPRO has heard many stories about players being approached by people posing as agents and promising to arrange a trial or contract with a new club,” FIFPRO said in a statement. “The reality is less glamorous… In some cases, players are stranded abroad with no money to get home.”
Young players in particular, Drogba said, are at risk in their search for an agent. “Your best agent is not the person you can trust, the best agent you can have is your performances,” Drogba said in a video call this week with reporters. “This never lies. The more you play, the more clubs come to see you play.” “What I see is a lot of kids looking for an agent so that a club can find me. That’s not how the job works. Performance is what gets the attention of clubs and good agents.”
As part of new FIFA regulations, from October 1, 2023, all soccer agents must have a FIFA license, which requires passing an exam.
The campaign includes a player brochure with practical advice on how to spot a fake agent, what to look for in a contract and player rights as a foreign employee.
“Some of our friends paid all their family savings, everything they had, but they didn’t make it abroad,” Drogba said in his video. “Instead, they are left stranded in an airport, or in a ramshackle space, under a stadium with 20 other people, or living under a bridge, or even imprisoned in Asia.” “And I’m not talking about one player. Thousands like you, with the same hopes and dreams who were cheated and left with nothing… I don’t want you to be next.”
Drogba, 45, is one of the most successful African players in Premier League history. He scored 164 goals for Chelsea, won four league titles and the Champions League and won the Premier League Golden Boot twice.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
