Football FanCast guest columnist Gareth Symonds feels it is time that UEFA imposed heavy sanctions in order to prevent clubs making illegal approaches for players.

It is a disease that has spread into the modern game and one that is continually condoned by UEFA. The tapping up of players boils my blood and whilst it is commonly rife in Europe it is has infiltrated its way onto our shores; and like Gary Lineker's tan has no intention of fading away.

It is absolutely criminal and why should it be allowed to happen? Why aren't clubs facing transfer embargos for blatantly courting other players, or should I say publicly making it known of their interest in a player?

You don't have to be Einstein to work out which football team I support and which particular issue I am addressing. It is a totally wrong and maybe the FA should set a precedent and gain some credibility back by taking some firm action and wipe it out once and for all. Why should clubs be able to tout your best players without going through the correct procedures? It has clearly riled Martin O'Neill and rightly so - have you ever seen him so animated and widely disgusted. It is certainly not the first time Rafa Benitez has done this, so wouldn't it be highly amusing to find out tomorrow that Barcelona or Real Madrid tap up Fernando Torres.

I read an excellent article this morning about Arsene Wenger, who himself has been the victim of a blatant piece of tapping up with regards to Alexander Hleb. He came out and talked about a club having values and maintaining them throughout and conducting business the right way. If players don't want to respect them then that is fine but they will be no great loss in the long run. The Frenchman is dead right but then again he is one of the few foreign managers that has an element of class and integrity about them. Rules are in place and they should be adhered to, otherwise why bother with contracts at all and just let players come and go - in fairness that may not be such a bad policy. I mean half the problem with the modern day footballer is that half of them sit on their arses knowing they are still going to earn their thousands per week.

I firmly believe in the next couple of weeks that Gareth Barry will put in a transfer request in order to get his move. I think that is what has made Martin O'Neill all the more upset - seeing his captain's head has been turned, maybe beyond the point of return. I can't possibly see how a move to Liverpool will seem an improvement; I mean let's be honest, like us they haven't a cat and hells chance of winning a title so surely Arsenal will prove a better move. It is a grave shame we will lose our captain and the pivotal part of the revolution that O'Neill is currently orchestrating at Villa Park. We won't be the first and certainly won't be the last club to fall victim to it and there will always be that threat until UEFA or FA put sanctions in place to act as a deterrent.