“We completely lost our bearings”
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The long-time Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also believes that legal action is a sensible option in the debate about drastically increased expenses for consultants. “First of all, you should try to do it on good terms. If that doesn’t work, you have to go through the European justice system. So far, politicians have been quite reserved when it comes to such regulations because they prefer free competition. But in Brussels you should also recognize that spending in football has long since exceeded all limits,” said Rummenigge to the Spanish sports newspaper “AS” in an interview.
The world association FIFA must continue to push forward reforms in the transfer system. “The idea that a fixed proportion of five percent of a player’s annual salary goes to the agent is very good. That would be a good starting point, because we are currently at around ten percent,” said Rummenigge. “A common solution is needed because, in addition to exploding salaries, these consultant commissions are the biggest problem in football. Unfortunately, German courts in particular have so far overturned a cap on commissions.”
Rummenigge initially suggested a round table. “We’re all in the same boat. That’s why I think we should all sit down at the table together: the consultants themselves, but also associations, leagues and clubs,” said the long-time CEO of FC Bayern.
Over one billion euros was paid to consultants
“We have completely lost our bearings. Last summer, 1.347 billion dollars (the equivalent of around 1.17 billion euros) were paid in commissions for consultants. Five years ago it was 500 million – and that was a lot,” he explained further.
“If FC Bayern buys a player from Freiburg, Freiburg then signs one from Mainz and Mainz signs another, then the money stays in the football cycle. What the consultants make, however, does not – and that is enormously damaging to our sport. At FC Bayern we will approach this issue more consistently in the future,” announced Rummenigge.
Consultant excesses: FC Bayern wants to set an example
His colleague on the Bayern supervisory board, Uli Hoeneß, had also recently spoken of the German record champions taking a tougher approach. “We will no longer tolerate consultants alone determining how things run. Their contribution is increasingly out of proportion to the fees that are called for and often paid in the end,” he said.
Rummenigge sees FC Bayern in a position to set an example. “First of all, FC Bayern Munich is not an address that advisors can simply avoid. If we no longer want to work with an advisor, that has consequences.”
