Brazil gets first soccer trade law as investor ban makes impact

Rio de Janeiro

BRAZIL'S soccer authorities have made it illegal to invest in the transfer rights of a player with the aim of turning a profit on future trades, bringing it in line with a global ban that comes into effect in five months.

Investors own a stake in the transfer rights of a majority of Brazilian top division players, leading to concerns that teams could be pressured to move a player to realise gains for speculators.