Agent to fight FIFA fine over Spurs keeper transfer

Friday, February 8, 2013
3:52 PM

Football agent Leon Angel, who has represented England manager Roy Hodgson, has vowed to appeal against a FIFA fine for breaching regulations over the transfer of goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to Tottenham.

Angel, who has done accountancy work for Hodgson, said he will challenge the FIFA decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Angel, who is based in London, was found guilty of two breaches of the regulations and fined 7,000 Swiss francs (£4,800) after his name was not included in the paperwork for the transfer of the Brazilian.

He insists however that it was an administrative oversight by a Brazilian agent, and that he was not responsible for the paperwork.

Angel told Press Association Sport: “It is a technical breach on an administrative matter and we are appealing against it to CAS.

“It’s actually nothing to do with us - the transfer was performed by a Brazilian agent who did not fill in a form.”

The violations related to Gomes’ move from PSV Eindhoven in July 2008 and has taken some time to be dealt with - it was referred by the Football Association to FIFA in June 2011.

FIFA said in a statement: “FIFA also informed Mr Angel that a further breach of the players’ agents regulations will result in more severe sanctions to be determined by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which can lead to a suspension or even a withdrawal of the players’ agent licence.”

The first regulation breached refers to having a “relevant written representation contract with that player or club”, and the second requires that “every players’ agent shall ensure that his name, signature and the name of his client appear in any contracts resulting from transactions in which he is involved”.

Hodgson negotiated his England contract with the FA but Angel has carried out accountancy work with him, and there is a picture of the two men together on the firm’s website.