Portuguese Side Sporting Lisbon To End Doyen Sports Agreement Over Alleged Interference

Portuguese football side Sporting Lisbon said it will "scrap agreements with the Doyen Sports player investment fund because the firm has been trying to arrange the sale of defender Marcos Rojo without its authorization," according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. Sporting, an 18-time Portuguese champion, will "rescind contracts Malta-registered Doyen had in Zakaria Labyad and Rojo, who played for Argentina at the World Cup and is refusing to train" amid interest from ManU. Doyen Sports owns 75% of Rojo's economic rights and "will get the same percentage of any transfer fee." Doyen "denied any interference." Doyen CEO Nelio Lucas "sent text messages to Sporting's president pressuring him to sell Rojo," according to a Sporting statement. The club alleged that "Lucas said in a text that Rojo 'will start problems' should he not be allowed to leave." Under FIFA's regulations, "third-party investors like Doyen can't influence trades" (BLOOMBERG, 8/14).