Agent silent on brother’s role in Kewell transfer

AGENT Nikola Mandic yesterday declined to comment on his brother Bernie’s involvement in Harry Kewell’s contentious transfer to Liverpool last week.

Following complaints from licensed agents in Australia, FIFA , football’s world governing body, are looking at documentation supplied to them by the FA in relation to the £5 million move.

FIFA will then decide whether to launch a probe into the role played by Bernie Mandic as he is not licensed with them to serve as a player’s representative, as well as the 40% cut of the transfer fee worth £2 million which went to his company, Max Sport, as part of the deal.

Under FIFA regulations, Mandic’s role in transfer negotiations should be nothing more than administrative, yet it is his name which appears on letters between Max Sport and Leeds chairman John McKenzie, as well as on e-mail correspondence.

It is brother Nikola, who works for an Australian-based subsidiary of Max Sport called Sports Corporation International, who is Kewell’s registered and licensed agent.

“I am Harry’s agent and it is I who negotiated the Liverpool contract,” said Nikola Mandic. “With regards to my brother, I don’t want to comment on that other than to say what happened between Leeds and Bernie Mandic is nothing to do with me. I didn’t get involved because Leeds didn’t offer Harry a new contract.”

Nikola’s comments cast a further cloud over Leeds and their involvement with Bernie, who yesterday defended his position.

Mandic ascertained he is Kewell’s commercial manager and that Leeds declined to deal with his brother directly, further insisting his role in the saga will stand up to FIFA scrutiny.