The English FA has been criticised for making a disabled candidate feel they “weren’t being taken seriously” before taking the new agents’ exam.
FIFA has also come under scrutiny for the lack of accessibility of the study materials for the exam.
One agent, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their business relationships, says they missed the first exam on April 19 after their requests to the FA’s intermediary line went unanswered. They contacted the FA again on September 4 ahead of the next set of exams and only then were reasonable adjustments made to allow them to sit the second test on Wednesday, September 20.
The test is part of FIFA’s regulatory overhaul of the profession, which it says is harming the transfer system, and has been introduced in order to “raise the professional and ethical standards” of the profession.
Should candidates miss or fail this exam they will be unable to work on transfers, contract negotiations or speak to clubs — unless in the company of a registered agent — from October 1. The next set of exams is in May 2024.
GO DEEPER
Agents exam day - and why they are railing against FIFA’s crackdown plans
The exam is controlled by FIFA but is hosted by national associations across the world. Candidates with disabilities can apply for special dispensation up to seven days before the exam in the form of getting extra time, sitting in an ergonomic chair or even sitting the exam at home.
One agent, who has motor neurone output difficulties and a problem with sight which makes looking at screens difficult, requested the use of an ergonomic chair and extra time. They missed the first exam after failing to get a response from the FA but received a reply when they tried again in September.
“For a while, it did stress me out and made me very anxious,” the agent said. “Initially, it took a while for them (the FA) to just talk to me and not make me feel as if I wasn’t being taken seriously. Just be straight with me so we can sensibly find solutions, as we have now.”
In emails, seen by The Athletic, the agent was initially asked to provide proof of their disability — which under UK law they did not necessarily have to do. They provided proof in the form of a Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) letter, however, for fear of their claim lacking credibility.
They were then told that the venue in Birmingham hosting the exam would be unable to provide an ergonomic chair, so they would have to take one themselves from their home in London.
The candidate was told they could walk and stretch during the exam under supervision, although confined to a small area. This led to further, constructive discussions between the agent and the FA as both sides sought to find a positive outcome.
The requests for reasonable adjustments for this agent and a number of other candidates were sent through to FIFA last week and were approved by football’s governing body ahead of Wednesday’s exam.
The agent was granted permission to sit the exam at home and given 25 per cent extra time.
“Afterwards I did feel they tried the best they could and were willing to listen,” said the agent. “They did email and call me back to keep me looped in but you still feel anxious and a bit worried.”
GO DEEPER
Explaining football’s new agent rules: An exam, $600 fee and salary cap
An FA spokesperson said: “When hosting FIFA’s Football Agent Exam, we make every effort to ensure that the experience is as inclusive and accessible as possible – and we work closely with FIFA to support anyone that may require reasonable adjustments.
“This includes providing extra time or allowing candidates to sit the exam at home where appropriate. We have taken a number of steps to ensure that FIFA’s policies and systems can accommodate all candidates who wish to sit the exam, and we will look to further improve these processes in the future.”
The 512-page exam-study document, provided by FIFA, is a block of text, meaning those with dyslexia or dyspraxia would struggle to take in the information. There are no video or audio versions of the text.
FIFA says this is due to the rapidly changing nature of the regulations, meaning that by the time any new audio or video versions are released, there would be a high probability of it being out of date.
“I think FIFA need to make their study materials more disability friendly,” the agent added.
“We need better signposting from FIFA and the FA (to help disabled candidates find the help they need). I think also, the deadline needs to be more than a week before the exam as you are left in limbo hoping things will be in place.”
(Photo: Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
