Football: Rummenigge takes on players’ agents

BERLIN: Germany legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has called on clubs to resist paying agents when players are transferred, calling the practice ‘stupid’. “It should be up to the player to pay because the agent brings a service to the player and not the club,” the Bayern Munich chairman was quoted as saying in an interview with the Bild newspaper. Rummenigge’s stance was backed by Hans-Joachim Watzke, owner of Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund, who said, “He’s right. But to succeed, all the clubs have to agree.” According to experts, Bundesliga clubs are thought to have paid more than €80 million to agents after transfers last season.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2012.