ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the circumstances through which the professions of football intermediaries and agents in European football have developed, where appropriate adopting a comparative approach with the North American market for sports agents. It illustrates how the activities of middlemen in the football market evolved in response to market conditions until 1994, when FIFA officially recognized the profession of licensed agents. This evolution is situated within the context of increasing internationalization and the recognition of the working rights of professional football players within the football labour market.
