Dutch daily the Volkskrant has published
a story revealing how easy it is to buy a young African footballer on the
internet. The last couple of days have seen England and the United States
shocked by the news that it's possible to buy babies on the world wide net - so
it's hardly surprising that it's just as easy to buy a teenaged footballer from
"the dark continent". A couple of hundred years ago you had to send a
ship or two to get hold of your servants but in the 21st century the purchase
of a young footballing 'slave' is just a few mouse clicks away. While Holland's
Minister of Justice Mr.Korthals has set in motion an investigation of the trade
in young footballing flesh (and Belgium is doing the same) the agents and
scouts, some of them Dutch, are busy scouring Africa for potential candidates
for the clubs in Europe. The organisation behind much of the lucrative import
business is African Football Management set up in 1991 by 47 year-old Italian
Dominico Ricci after he saw the Ghanian Under 17 team win the World
Championship in Montecatini. His first signings were imported to his old club
Torino, which caused just as much commotion back then in Italy as today's
stories of the slave trade are creating today.
As we wrote in our January
14th Speaker's Corner story how is it possible that it's taken so long for
something to be done about it? After the initial rumpus in Italy the business
really got moving and since then around 150 youngsters have gone to European
clubs.
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AFM control clubs in Mali, Ivory Coast and Nigeria and does
business with more than 100 clubs in 10 countries. The company organises youth
competitions throughout West Africa where it also has its own football schools.
It's fallen out with the football association in Ghana, where it organised the
country's biggest cup competition (the AFM-Milo Cup) which has since been taken
over by Ajax (who have their own school there). Italy, France and Portugal
account for 70% of his business (Mr.Ricci claims to have 35 players for sale at
present) and, while Dutch clubs such as Vitesse, De Graafschap and Willem II
have been past customers, it's getting more difficult for him to sell to
Holland - players from outside the EU have to earn a minimum of 380,000
guilders (€172,440 Euros) to get a work permit. Although he's been accused in
Africa of colonialism, exploitation and called a slave trader, Mr.Ricci sees
himself as a simple businessman who takes 7% of a player's earnings (not the
15% others say he receives) and the 'normal' fee from the clubs. He doesn't
understand why he's got such a bad name - what do you think?
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