Pierre’s possible move to Ukrainian club highlights Haitian players’ need for agents

CAP-HAITIEN — Violette Athletic Club‘s defensive midfielder, Woodensky Pierre, is one of the very few players in the Haitian Soccer League who has a professional agent. Thanks to the work of his agent, Jérôme Salbert, Pierre is in the process of joining the Ukrainian side F.C. Kryvbas Kryvyi. However, Salbert told Haiti-Tempo that the talented Haitian midfielder must first receive a visa before his move can be completed. 

Meanwhile, scores of other talented youngsters are not receiving overseas offers this summer partly because they do not have professional agents representing them. One of the most poignant examples is Real Hope Football Academy‘s star winger Rapha Intervil. 

A former coach in the Haitian League, Erick Dalusma, said the lack of agents in Haiti has been preventing players from taking their talents overseas. 

“A lot of people in our championship have the talent but don’t have someone to sell it,” Dalusma said. “We need agents. It’s really important. If we don’t want to waste our talents, we need agents.”

Dalusma is a founding member, former player and ex-coach of Ouanaminthe Football Club 2011. He led them to the final of the Haitian League this past season before parting ways with the club to move to Orlando, Florida via the I-134A humanitarian parole program.

Meanwhile, Pierre, 19, is a former Haiti U-20 player. He was called up on the senior side for the World Cup qualifiers in June but did not make the trip from Haiti to Barbados due to administrative issues. 

The Cité Soleil native was loaned to Real Hope Football Academy last season and helped the club win the Haitian League. 

The club interested in Pierre, F.C. Kryvbas, finished third in the Ukrainian league last season and will compete in the preliminary round of the Europa League. 

Pierre’s agent also represents the Haitian men’s team’s head coach, Frenchman Sébastien Migné.

Due to the absence of professional agents in Haiti, players often rely on coaches, club presidents and friends to negotiate on their behalf when a club shows interest. For those who play for the national team, a Haitian Football Federation representative typically handles negotiations. However, these individuals lack formal training. They do not understand all aspects of contract negotiations, potentially causing players to lose out on deal opportunities. Furthermore, they do not actively seek teams for players, resulting in many talents being wasted in Haiti.

When Dalusma was playing for Ouanaminthe, his coach was his deal negotiator, and he never gave him the go-ahead to leave the club despite other clubs being interested in him. Cavaly Association Sportive de Lèogâne, Violette and Real Hope were strongly interested in Dalusma.

“The coach will always say no [for local transfers],” Dalusma said. “I never had an agent.”

Dalusma said that in order for more players to have agents, former players who are still in Haiti need to establish an association to teach people how to become professional agents.

“Let’s find a way to expose our players to the international market,” Dalusma said. “Start an association of agents.”

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