[Vargas_4]

Frank Ribery was at the centre of a court ruling recently that could force FIFA to completely overhaul the current systems governing football agents.

The Bayern Munich winger was brought before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being accused by his former agent Bruno Heiderscheid of a breach of contract.

Arbitrator Jean-Jacques Bertrand, however, chose to focus on Heiderscheid’s criminal record when reviewing the contract dispute.

The case tried under French law, which obliges all agents to possess the necessary licences in order to practice their trade. French law also states that an applicant cannot qualify for said licences if they have committed certain offences.

And, as announced by Bertrand: "On February 4, 2000, Heiderscheid was condemned to a penalty of a year's imprisonment for [several financial offences]."

Heiderscheid’s claims were therefore dismissed, and he was ordered to return any payments he received from Ribery.

"The representation contract of November 30, 2005, is therefore void," added Bertrand.

The CAS have thus declared that all representative contracts between players and agents illegitimate if the agent has committed a financial offence.

The ruling could have huge implications as the summer transfer window fast approaches, given FIFA’s statements in January that insists an agent must have "an impeccable reputation", defined as: "no criminal sentence for a financial or violent crime ever [having] been passed against him."

The result could be a mass crackdown on less-than-impeccable agents by FIFA, which could effectively see the entire system of player representation overhauled.

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Goal.com - FIFA - Ribery Case To Cause Agent Culling?