Transfers to OM: suspended prison sentence for Karim Aklil, former players' agent

Karim Aklil, a former player agent who negotiated with Olympique de Marseille, was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison suspended for signing four contracts while he did not have the professional card issued by the French Football Federation (FFF).

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The Criminal Court of Marseille found him guilty of illegally exercising the profession of sports agent on the occasion of the transfers of Karim Ziani from OM to Wolfsburg (Germany) and Souleymane Diawara from Girondins de Bordeaux to the Marseille club, as well as the contract extensions of Mamadou Niang to OM and Kamel Chafni to AJ Auxerre, operations carried out in the summer of 2009.

Aklil was associated with Jean-Luc Barresi, another player agent "at the crossroads of several criminal spheres.

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For this, he was also fined 15,000 euros. On some transactions, Mr. Aklil was associated with Jean-Luc Barresi, another player agent "at the crossroads of several criminal spheres," according to the investigating judges who completed this investigation.

Mr Aklil had obtained his players' agent licence on 22 October 2009, i.e. after those four contracts were signed for a total of more than EUR 2.8 million. To request his acquittal during the debates, on March 8, Karim Aklil had argued that these transactions had been carried out by his company, in which a minority shareholder held his agent license. But the court noted in its judgment that Mr. Aklil "did not act under the control, and therefore the responsibility of the latter, who ultimately appeared only to put his name on the contracts".

The former players' agent was sentenced to pay a symbolic euro to the Federation and the League

Several OM leaders have attested that all negotiations were led by Karim Aklil. In the reasons for their judgment, consulted by AFP, the judges also dismissed the "error of law" invoked by the defendant, ensuring that "Mr. Aklil was particularly aware of the monopoly of sports agents".

The former players' agent was sentenced to pay a symbolic euro to the Federation and the League (LFP), which had filed a civil suit. Olympique de Marseille claimed for its part the reimbursement of commissions paid while it did not yet have the status of agent. The amount of these damages will be decided at a hearing scheduled for 10 November. But the court has already noted "the culpable negligence" of the club, considering that its leaders "would have had the means to verify the quality" of agent of Mr. Aklil. This negligence should, according to the court, result in a 50-50 split of liability.