A footballer's worth off the pitch is just as important as on the pitch. From securing dream transfers to big brand endorsements, agents shape many footballer's careers.
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00:00Transfers and contracts in football can be complicated business.
00:04Fortunately, most players don't navigate these things by themselves.
00:07A lot of players hire agents, who help them with negotiations.
00:12So, what is it like to be a football agent?
00:14And how do they play a big part in the game?
00:21Hello and welcome to Football Now from the Albeit Stadium in Qatar.
00:26On this week's episode of the show,
00:27we're taking a look at the life of a football agent.
00:31While their clients make the headlines on the pitch,
00:33they're working hard behind the scenes to secure the best deals for players,
00:37not just in contract negotiations and transfers,
00:40but also with commercial opportunities as well.
00:43They're not without their controversy,
00:44but their role in the business side of the game is more prominent than ever.
00:49I think, first of all, it's also important to clarify the role of a football agent.
00:52So, you have the on-field agent and you have the off-field agent.
00:56The focus is always on the on-field, obviously,
00:58because that's their main job of footballers,
01:00to be a football player and to be the best you can.
01:03So, the on-field part always takes the priority.
01:05However, the off-field has took such a big priority over the last,
01:09I would say, 15, 20 years.
01:10Most of the time, both of them work together in the same company,
01:13on the same agency.
01:14And I think it's important that they align on the strategy of the player.
01:18As you can imagine, there is no one typical day.
01:21It's always changing, but I would say there are certain pillars
01:24that we try to achieve every week or every day.
01:28One of them is to develop the new business.
01:30So, always reaching out to brands,
01:32getting in touch with new brands that we are interested in.
01:34So, that part is very important to keep growing our network.
01:37The second pillar is to maintain the existing network.
01:40We want to make sure we are not missing on any existing opportunities for our clients.
01:43The third pillar, I would say, is to deliver the assets that we have
01:48with some partnerships that we have in place.
01:50For example, if a player has a deal with, let's say, a brand like EAFC,
01:54we need to make sure that the shoots are completed,
01:57or to organise the next shoot,
01:58or to post the various social media posts the players need to post.
02:02So, delivering the assets.
02:03We all know that the career of a footballer is very short.
02:07Of course, most players play because of the passion for the game,
02:10but there's no hiding from the fact that there is also a loss of money in elite football.
02:14And when your career doesn't last forever,
02:16it's natural to try and maximise your earning potential before retirement.
02:21Well, I caught up with German international and Al-Ali winger,
02:24Julian Draxler, right here in Doha.
02:26He gave us the players' perspective
02:28and told us just how important it is to have a trustworthy agent by your side
02:32when deciding your future.
02:34I think it depends on the character, you know.
02:36For sure, there are players that don't need it at all
02:38because they are capable of performing on the pitch,
02:41and at the same time, they can, one day later, two days later,
02:43they can have contract talks with the best clubs in the world.
02:46So, it depends on your own character.
02:47Me, I was someone who really wanted to focus on the game first,
02:50and especially when I was young, you know, everything is new.
02:53You are afraid that someone is going to play games with you, let's say, like this.
02:58And, you know, my agent has been with me since I was 15,
03:00before I became someone, let's say, and I still have the same today.
03:04So, I'm quite confident that I can trust him.
03:07I mean, he helped me a lot in my career,
03:09but agents in general, it depends on the character.
03:13In the cutthroat world of football business,
03:15reputation is everything.
03:17Top players only want to work with agents
03:18who are well-renowned for being tough negotiators
03:21and able to get those big contracts over the line.
03:24The question is, when you first start out in the industry,
03:26how do you build up that esteem for being both reliable
03:30and able to land the big deals?
03:32Building network is not that easy,
03:35but you have to have a clear, also, target,
03:37which network you are targeting,
03:39and then go present yourself and provide value.
03:42Nobody will call you, nobody will look for you.
03:44When you start, and you start building an agency,
03:47you have to look for people, you have to present yourself,
03:49you have to create this awareness for you, for your agency,
03:53and then, step by step, people will recommend you.
03:55Right now, we have a huge network all around the world.
03:59We always meet positive people, good people in this industry,
04:02providing solutions to clubs and players.
04:05But as I said, everyone has his own reputation.
04:07We are building this reputation for many years,
04:10and we are defending this reputation
04:12because of our transparency and our trust
04:14towards both sides, clubs and also players.
04:18As well as the salaries they receive from their clubs,
04:20the modern-day footballer also has other streams of revenue,
04:24from commercial opportunities.
04:25If you're a player at the top of your game and with a big profile,
04:29the chances are that brands and companies
04:30will want to work with you.
04:32And so, there are agents who specialise
04:34in just that aspect of a player's image,
04:36helping to grow their brand off the pitch,
04:38as well as knowing what they're worth on it.
04:41What we do first is that we always align
04:44with the on-field agent on a strategy for the player,
04:47with the player as well.
04:48Now, the way we build a strategy is by, first of all,
04:50knowing the players, knowing who they are,
04:52knowing their stories, knowing their values,
04:54what are they passionate about outside of the pitch.
04:56And then, from there, my goal is to tell the story to the brands
05:00and try to align them with brands that make sense.
05:03Now, I think we'll start to see more and more players
05:05building their own brands,
05:06building their own drinks company or whatever,
05:09and they see their favourite, maybe, NBA player
05:12building their own business.
05:13So, it has increased a lot in terms of interest.
05:15We see a lot of players interested in fashion.
05:17I've worked recently on the campaign
05:19between Cole Palmer and Burberry.
05:21So, I think this was an interesting one
05:22because Burberry is a British brand,
05:24so they focus on British heritage,
05:25and I think Cole Palmer really represents England
05:28in a very good way at the moment.
05:29He's playing fantastically well,
05:31so I was pretty happy to connect those two brands together.
05:34Football is big business,
05:36and the role of an agent is crucial.
05:38They act as the bridge between the players, clubs,
05:41and those big contracts that could change the future
05:43of a footballer's career.
05:45Let us know if you think agents are good for the game
05:47using the hashtag footballnowfootballagents.
05:50That's all we've got time for here
05:52from the Albeit Stadium in Qatar.
05:54We'll see you next time.
05:55Bye for now.