Footballs Middle Men

Agents: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly 

For every Jorge Mendez, Mino Raiola(Zlatan Ibrahimovic) and other 'Super Agents' out there, who've  made it their life's work to give their clients the best that's on offer for their talents, theirs many more who go about their business the wrong way. Whether that be from the clubs point of view, or the players differed from case-to-case. For many footballers, young and old, an agent is not only their voice in the Directors office, but also and more importantly a father figure/family away from family and often confidant. A person that they feel they can trust completely with their affairs. Especially for those taken from their home countries from a young age. After being approached by agent, many players put thief faith in these people, buying into a vision of a better life that will help them improve their lives as well as their families.

  

Unfortunately for many this dream turns into a nightmare. Agents pluck young talent from the local fields, making all sorts of promises. Meanwhile their only intention is to make a quick buck off the player. In some cases agents have taken players to foreign countries, hoping their client will secure a contract. When that fails to materialse, players are often left alone in that country, never to hear from the agent again. Such cases are littered throughout the world, mainly in Africa and South Africa where players are desparate to escape poverty. Having almost been a victim myself to an agents mind game, being told that opportunities will come, all the while declining concrete offers with the promise of recieving better offers (for him). I ,fortunately, figured out what was going on and decided to part ways with the agent.

     

It's easy to see why players can get caught up in this trap, as having an agent can open doors and lead to opportunities that would otherwise be impossible to come by. I have nothing against agents, Infact they play a hugely important role in a players success on and off the field, when they go about it the right way. Part of  an agents role is to help the player focus all their efforts on the field, and not get mixed up in the stresses tha negotitiating new contracts can sometimes lead to. They are the clubs go to guy when dealing with a player.      

Clubs themselves have agent that help to attract the right kind of player for the manager. Working alone or sometimes with scouts, they travel to games to identify talents that fit a certain criteria and try lure the player to the respective club. For a small fee ofcourse ;) 

Agents are quick to recieve a lot of bad press, especially in recent times with clubs complaining about their strangle hold on players, as well as demands for insane agents fees when negotiations for their clients. But in greater scheme, many footballers are glad agents exist. Ofcourse many General Managers think contrary about Footballs Middle Men and would rather deal with the players directly.  The truth is; agents are here to stay and their roles seem to be getting bigger and more influential in the football market. And doesn't seem like that will change anytime soon