UEFA president Michel Platini has defended a ban on third party ownership ( TPO ) of footballers - labelling the practice 'shameful ' and a form of 'slavery ' . Super agent Jorge Mendes , who includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho among his clients , has claimed the ban is illegal and will kill competition in Europe . The Spanish and Portuguese leagues have also opposed the ban . TPO is a practice which takes place in several countries , particularly in South America , where companies own the economic rights of players and benefit from their transfer fees . It has been banned in the Premier League since 2008 . UEFA president Michel Platini has defended a ban on third party ownership ( TPO ) of footballers . Platini , who pushed FIFA to impose the ban - said the ban would stop huge sums of money disappearing from football . Speaking on a UEFA video forum in response to a question from Paris St Germain manager Laurent Blanc , Platini said : ' I have put a lot of pressure on FIFA to stop third party ownership . 'Today , it 's shameful to see some players with one of their arms belonging to one person , a leg belonging to a funds pension located who knows where , and a third person owning his foot . 'It is shameful ; we 're dealing with a type of slavery that belongs to the past . 'Everyone earns money on such transfers , and while we are trying to find money to invest in football , that money goes in the pockets of I do n't know who , and I do n't know where . 'It 's about time that the world of football wakes up , and that the money coming into football remains in football , and does n't disappear . ' Kia Joorabchian , head of Media Sports Investments , part-owned a number of high-profile players . Platini also said in the forum that the biggest misconception about him was that he alone took major decisions about football . He added : ' I think that the people in Europe , or in the world , they think that I take my decisions alone . But you have to understand one thing , I am very democratic and very transparent , and I never take a decision alone without the support of the executive committee or with the Congress of the UEFA . ' I listen to everybody very carefully and I take my decision , when it is necessary to take a decision , always for the good of the game and for the good of football . Do n't think that I am very despotic . ' Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano , pictured here in 2006 , were some of Joorabchian 's TPO players .
Michael Platini has defended a ban on third party ownership of footballers . TPO sees companies part-own the economic rights of players . The European Court ruled in favour of this last year, but UEFA is still considering whether to enforce it.