Research Article

Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England

Number: Advanced Online Publication Early Pub Date: October 21, 2026

Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare football agent activities in Türkiye and England within financial, administrative, and legal contexts. The study employs a qualitative research design, utilizing document analysis, purposive sampling for data collection, and content analysis methods. The documents collected as raw data include football agent regulations, lists of licensed football agents, agent payments, and agent payment reports publicly shared by the Turkish Football Federation and the English Football Association. The findings indicate that significantly higher amounts of agent fees are paid in England compared to Türkiye. While all clubs in England declare agent payments, the number of clubs reporting such payments in Türkiye is considerably limited. In addition, while data on women’s football is available in England, no such data exists for Türkiye. Furthermore, the number of licensed football agents in England is substantially higher than in Türkiye. The results of the study reveal that England operates a more transparent system compared to Türkiye. This is attributed to the more effective management of information processes in England. In Türkiye, the high number of unlicensed football agents leads to off-the-record activities, which are not reflected in official reports. Similarly, in terms of auditing processes, England demonstrates a more effective and systematic structure compared to Türkiye

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Marmara University, Institude of Health Sciences- T.C. İstanbul Rumeli University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Department of Sports Management-Çukurova University, Institude of Health Sciences

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted using the document analysis method, which relies exclusively on the examination of publicly available and previously published documents. Since no human participants, personal data, or experimental procedures were involved, the research does not require approval from an ethics committee.

Thanks

The authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to the reviewers and editorial team of the journal for their valuable time, constructive feedback, and professional guidance throughout the evaluation and publication process. Their insightful comments and suggestions have contributed to improving the quality and clarity of this manuscript.

References

  1. Aarons, E., & Molina, R. (2025, July 16). Would-be football agents complain FIFA’s faulty online exam causes one-year delay. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/16/would-be-football-agents-complain-fifas-faulty-online-exam-causes-one-year-delay
  2. Ahtiainen, S., & Jarva, H. (2022). UEFA'nın finansal fair play düzenlemesi futbol kulüplerinin karlılığını artırdı mı? European Sport Management Quarterly, 22 (4), 569–587. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2020.1820062
  3. Akşar, T. (2015, December 31). Futbolun başına bela menajerlik sistemi. Dünya. https://www.dunya.com/kose-yazisi/futbolun-basina-bela-menajerlik-sistemi/26619
  4. Bull, W., & Appermont, N. (2024). Money laundering and compliance in professional football: the case of Belgium in light of the new EU AML single rulebook. Sport in Society, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2024.2424565
  5. Bull, W., & Faure, M. (2022). Agents in the sporting field: a law and economics perspective. Int Sports Law J, 22, 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-021-00195-x
  6. Business Matters Magazine (2024, August 24). HMRC recovers £70m in tax crackdown on footballers and agents. Business Matters. https://bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/hmrc-recovers-70m-in-tax-crackdown-on-footballers-and-agents/
  7. Buss, E. (2024, August 12). HMRC’s football crackdown continues- £67.5m in extra tax recovered in just a year. https://www.uhy-uk.com/insights/hmrcs-football-crackdown-continues-ps675m-extra-tax-recovered-just-year
  8. Chadwick, S., Parnel, D., Widdop, P., & Anagnostopoulos, C. (2018). Routledge handbook of football business and management. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351262804

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sports Activity Management

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

October 21, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

October 13, 2025

Acceptance Date

June 23, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

APA
Ak, Y. E., & Eryılmaz, F. (2026). Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1802455
AMA
1.Ak YE, Eryılmaz F. Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1802455
Chicago
Ak, Yunus Emre, and Fahri Eryılmaz. 2026. “Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison Between Türkiye and England”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1802455.
EndNote
Ak YE, Eryılmaz F (October 1, 2026) Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences Advanced Online Publication
IEEE
[1]Y. E. Ak and F. Eryılmaz, “Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England”, Pamukkale J Sport Sci, no. Advanced Online Publication, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.54141/psbd.1802455.
ISNAD
Ak, Yunus Emre - Eryılmaz, Fahri. “Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison Between Türkiye and England”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences. Advanced Online Publication (October 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1802455.
JAMA
1.Ak YE, Eryılmaz F. Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026. doi:10.54141/psbd.1802455.
MLA
Ak, Yunus Emre, and Fahri Eryılmaz. “Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison Between Türkiye and England”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication, Oct. 2026, doi:10.54141/psbd.1802455.
Vancouver
1.Yunus Emre Ak, Fahri Eryılmaz. Examining Agents’ Activities in Football: A Comparison between Türkiye and England. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026 Oct. 1;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1802455