Brussels, 16/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - MEPs Ivo Belet (EPP, Belgium), Jean-Luc Bennahmias (Greens/EFA, France), Adeline Hazan (PES, France), Guy Bono (PES, France) and Patrick Gaubert (EPP, France) have written to Joseph Sepp Blatter, the President of FIFA, asking him to ensure that article 19 of the FIFA regulation on the protection of young players is respected. They call on FIFA to apply stricter penalties against clubs and agents of players failing to respect the article. "Football is a dream opportunity for millions of African and South American children to travel to Europe (…). Less fortunate young footballers are abandoned when they reach their destination and touch down into an illegal situation. Article 19 of the UEFA regulation explicitly forbids the transfer of children below 18 years, but these rules are not always respected”, explained Mr Bennahmias (our translation).
This initiative is partly a response to the desire expressed by the “Aspire” sports Academy of Doha (Qatar) to take on more than 500,000 13-year-old footballers in several African countries, from the end of May 2007. “Working together with the association 'Solidarité Internationale pour le Football', we are asking Mr Blatter to carry out an in-depth study into the initiative Aspire. If it does not conform to the rules of FIFA, then we call for this initiative to be suspended”, said Mr Bennahmias. The letter continues: “politicians must work in concert to prevent football from ending up looking like a slave trade. We must ensure that FIFA rules are observed. We must also ensure that these young football players are accompanied as well as possible. Alongside their football training, they must be able to study and, should their European football career not turn out to be a 'success story', they must be able to return to their country in safety". (gc)