Seek legal advice before signing contracts - Mark Adu Amofah cautions footballers

Former Asante Kotoko forward Mark Adu Amofah has reiterated the need for footballers to seek the consent of legal brains before, during, and after signing their contracts.

According to the former Black Satellites and Meteors man, this aids their transition from amateur to professional level, adding that, most footballers are only focused on signing a contract and the signing on fee to be received but pay no attention to the legalities binding the contract.

This he said is a major factor that leads some players to terminate their contracts before the due date, while others involve the Court of Arbitration (CAS) to fight on their behalf.

In an interview with Ghanaweb, Adu Amofah, a veteran in the United States, advised footballers to involve persons with in-depth knowledge of legal issues or a lawyer who will always break down legal terms to them before, during, and after signing their contracts.

“Most footballers are only focused on the signing on fee and earning their wages but do not pay attention to the legal clauses that the club could stand on and terminate your contract without you earning a penny. Any contract for a player to sign, there should be a legal representative for the player”, he said.

“These clubs have lawyers who add legal clauses in contracts to favour them should the club decide to terminate your contract and leave you with nothing. Also, players should take on the club if they also fail to honour their part of the contract"

“I will advise every footballer to seek the help of an attorney or lawyer. You don’t wait until you get to play at the professional level. Guiding the young one’s about what and how to sign a contract broadens the scope of understanding the implications of signing a contract with clauses that shape their careers ', he added.

Adu Amofah played for Asante Kotoko from 2006 to 2007 where he featured in the CAF Champions League and also played for Ghana’s U20 and U23 teams.

He is the founder of Unique Sports Talent Worldwide and AA Sports International, a non-profit organization.


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