Third party ownership (TPO) of players should be not be banned, says La Liga President Javier Tebas

The third-party ownership (TPO) of players should be regulated by FIFA and not banned, according to president of Spain's professional league (LFP), Javier Tebas.

Tebas fears ending the practice could damage La Liga.

Outlawing TPO, already prohibited in countries like England, France and Poland, but widespread in Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina, would make La Liga 'less competitive', Tebas said on Friday.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced in September that a decision had been taken to ban TPO, following pressure from their European counterpart UEFA.

A working group has been set up to implement the ban, which will come into effect following a yet-to-be-defined 'transitional period'.

"The (Spanish) league does not follow the line set out by UEFA and FIFA," Tebas told Spanish news agency Europa Press.

"It's complicated to change the situation but other leagues support us," Tebas added.

"The funds are not slave traders, as (UEFA president Michel) Platini says.They should be regulated, not banned," concluded Tebas.

Platini, a former France and Juventus midfielder, is one of the most outspoken critics of TPO, which is also strongly opposed by FIFPro.

"I have been constantly warning for years that this practice, which is becoming increasingly widespread, is a danger to our sport," Platini said in March.

"It threatens the integrity of our competitions, damages football's image, poses a long-term threat to clubs' finances and even raises questions about human dignity.

"Increasingly, players are owned by opaque companies based in tax havens and controlled by some unknown agent or investment fund," concluded Platini.