WOLVES FC INVESTIGATION: Yes, there is a relationship. But the links with soccer agent Jorge Mendes do not breach English Football League regulations.

Those findings by the EFL mean Mendes will not need to submit to the owners’ and directors’ test.

The good news came a few days after Wolves secured promotion. They join the rest of the English Premier League football teams for the 2018/19 season.

Nonetheless, questions about an association with the famous soccer agent accompanied their success. The ‘super agent’ represents Wolves’ head coach Nuno Espirito Santo as well as a few of the key players at the club.

So who exactly is Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes? Jorge Mendes is Portugese and was born on the 7th of January 1966. He is one of the most influential football agents worldwide.

In fact, from 2010 to 2015 he won six consecutive ‘Best Agent of the Year’ at the Globe Soccer Awards. His clients include Cristiano Ronaldo, David de Gea, José Mourinho, and Diego Costa.

Jorge Mendes also has a long standing association with Fosun International. They are a Chinese conglomerate and the owners of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

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Football Association Agency Rules

The Football Association have rules on the relationship between soccer clubs and agents. FA regulations prohibit club owners from holding more than a 5% stake in an agency.

At the same time, agents, or any ‘intermediaries’, cannot exert a ‘material influence’ over a club.

The English Football League had lengthy discussions with the management at Wolves. They expressed total satisfaction that Jorge Mendes held no such role at the club. They also could not categorise him as a ‘Relevant Person’ as defined by the league regulations.

A ‘Relevant Person’ for soccer league purposes would be an individual with powers like those of a company director. It includes all individuals with control over a the affairs of the club.

A statement issued by the English Football league followed a comprehensive review of the details provided by Wolves FC. The outcome determined that Mr. Mendes holds no role at the club. Thus, with no categorisation as a ‘Relevant Person’ there is no legal requirement for him to submit to the Owners’ and Directors’ Test.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club

Ardent supporters refer to the football club as ‘Wolves’ or use the informal nickname of ‘The Wanderers’. It is a professional association football club based in the city of Wolverhampton. The West Midlands team was first founded in 1877. Formerly called St. Luke’s F.C. they have been playing at the Molineux Stadium since 1889.

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