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

Off The Field - Transfer Window Special - 'The Super Agent'

When the transfer window opens, its usually a time that most fans dread or are excited for. If one word could sum up the window, I think it would be 'SPECULATION'...pretty much that's all that happens at this time. Rather than throw more transfer rumors and so forth at you...we have decided to switch things up a bit. Instead of focusing on the players, we shall focus on the men & women that represent the modern day footballer.

An agents job is crucial but even more so during the transfer window, its usually a game of cat and mouse and the best in the business play it masterfully. When you represent the best footballers in the wold, you have to ensure you keep them happy and get them what they want. If your player is not happy, how can you turn that around?...the best agents have many tactics they use.

 

The Press Game

The modern day fan has grown to hate the agent, why?...because they have freedom to say basically what they want to the press. The press eats it up and its causes a ripple which later becomes a giant wave, the best in the business use the press to their advantage. Perhaps their client is not happy with the current contract negotiations, the agent can simply come out and tell the press their client is wanted by many clubs. 

The story is played into the public and it creates heat, the clubs have to respond or it just keeps filtering in the papers. The agent can also come out and say their player wishes to leave, he is 'unhappy' or feeling 'unloved'. To the man on the street it is infuriating but it works most of the time.

The Waiting Game

Depending on how much time is left on a footballer's contract, negotiations for a new contract will often take place.If the agent is not happy with whats being offered they may choose to wait, this puts more pressure on the club to either increase the wages or add other incentives within the contract. Sometimes the club's respond and sometimes they play hard-ball and let the player's contract run out, but it depends on the time. 

There are many tactics that an agent can play during this time of the season, manipulation, propaganda and so on. With social media available now as well, rumors can fly by a tweet a second, clubs have had to learn to deal with these often egotistical power heads.

The Candy Game

A top agent always has to have the ability to make those around them feel good, when you want to convince or persuade your player to buy into something you feel is right. As well as negotiations with clubs, you don't want to create any hostilities between parties because they pay the bills. Sugar coating stories, relationships and meetings will work in a 'super agents' favor.  

 

As an agent, you are only as strong as the clients you represent. Mr Jorge Mendes, the Portuguese man richer than his own president. He is one of the most influential agents in world football, he dominates the industry. 

Cristiano Ronaldo__€100 000 000 (Market Value) 

Fabio Coentrao___€18 000 000

Anderson___€9000 000  

Falcao___€60 000 000

Pepe___€20 000 000 

Thiago Silva___€40 000 000  

Angel Di Maria____€34 000 000

These are just a few of the big names that are all represented by one man, Jorge Mendes. Sitting pretty in his office you will see shirts signed by his many famous footballers, plus other gifts. 2/3 mobile phones will be by his side, on stand by for any calls or texts from either his players or regarding his boys. Flat screen televisions with the sport channels on, catching up on any rumors that might be floating around. Jorge is highly respected because of his business mind and caring mindset. He has been successful because of his early scouting days, watching the likes of Ronaldo in high-school. He will always try his best to make time for his clients, obviously some will be treated with more care than others i.e Ronaldo.

During this window Jorge has had to deal with the on and off speculation of F.C Barcelona wanting to sign Thiago Silva, although he may have seemed like he wanted to go...Thiago ended up signing a good looking contract extension which made him and his agent a little richer. Whether the talk of Thiago wanting to leave was true/false we will never know, but perhaps both parties got what they wanted. Another one of Jorge's clients may soon be on the way, Fabio Coentrao is reportedly on the way to North London to sign for Tottenham. Its still not confirmed whether this may be a deal to get Gareth Bale to Madrid or that the new Madrid manager doesn't fancy Coentrao...Jorge will be having anxious moments trying to work out a deal.

Another one of Jorge's clients has already left the capital of Spain, after a roller coaster season with Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho returned back to his beloved Chelsea. Having one of the most successful managers, in world football signed to you isn't a bad deal at all. Considering that Mourinho is a manager who likes to wonder around, every time an opportunity to leave to a bigger club presents itself, its sure to be a mega-contract. 

More money in the bank for Mr Mendes this window came when Falcao signed with Monaco, a deal which shocked many. Financially its a deal that makes sense to Mendes and his client, a beautiful country, tax free, big wages and massive signing fee. It ticked all the boxes and the player would be playing week in and week out, another one of Jorge's clients Ricardo Carvalho also tagged along which helped with negotiations. Reports suggest that Monaco offered Mendes a €10 million cut, if he can convince Cristiano Ronaldo to sign in the future.

            

Ronaldo is obviously the main client for Jorge, the partnership has worked extremely well and he has gone to see him rise to extreme heights in world football. At this moment it is unclear exactly where Ronaldo's future lies, the man himself has said so. Recently reports from Spain's Marca said that Ronaldo is close to agreeing a £75 million 5 year deal with Real Madrid, the contract negotiations between both parties have been on-going. So far nothing concrete has been reached, stories have been out that Ronaldo could be returning to Man United or going to France. This could all be mind-games from the Mendes camp, the contract supposedly hinges on Ronaldo earning more than his rival in Barcelona. This could see CR7 earning £1000 more than Messi, which could be in the region of £300 000+ a week. The talks are still on-going and we will only know the full details in time...

The window is still open with a few more week left, you can be sure that Mr Mendes will be working his socks off during this busy time. It will all be worth it the end and he will be smiling all the way to the bank. 

Jorge Mendes 'The Super Agent'

Hope you enjoyed part 1 of our 'Transfer Window Special', don't miss out on part 2.

As always thanks for reading, if you would like to follow me on Twitter you can do so here

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Thanks again, peace & love!. 

    

Off The Field - (Part 2) Messi vs. Neymar - 'All Hail The King'

The best sportsmen and women will always thrill us, their supreme performances in their particular frame are watched and admired by millions. One question will always come into our heads as fans, what would it be like to live one day as our sporting heroes.

 Some superstars make it easy for you to see, others not so much. To tune in and watch the great Lionel Messi play football isn't hard, lets be honest. All you have to do is sit comfortably on your couch and watch him play, either on a Saturday or Sunday night. To see what Messi does off the field is where the difficulty comes in. 

Messi is a shy, humble and non-flashy man, yes his style of play on the field is incredibly difficult to overlook but off it...does Leo have the 'swagger'?. Why is Messi still considered 'The King'?, the truth is because he deserves it. Ring the bell and let me show you...

INTRODUCING THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPION OF THE NOU CAMP...

THE CHAMP

Undisputed 

From Roseria Sante Fe Argentina

26 Years Old

'The Flea' 'King Leo'

Lionel Andres 'Leo' Messi

Messi Messi Messi, the silent assassin should be his name. Perhaps because this man isn't as flash as CR7 or as sharp as DB, we assume he has no chance against these big hitters. That's where we are all wrong, Messi in his own charming way, sets trends for many to follow. 

Lets start with the hair, now when a young Messi made his debut for Barcelona the first thing that struck the world was his hair. The long silky black/brown locks, without even thinking about how good he might be on the field, we were drawn to his hair.

Messi started with the the young teenage scruffy look, which captured the young target market. From then Messi transformed, looking more and more elegant with his locks. Without Messi knowing, the style spread to the masses and more kids started growing their hair. They were all hoping to replicate their hero, look like Messi maybe you will play like him. 

Now Messi has transformed his looks, to a more conservative and elegant short cut. Showing his transition from youthful dazzler, to mature royalty. 

Change is always a good thing and it didn't take the public long to warm to Messi's new look, it didn't bother anyone because his performances on the pitch just kept getting better. Perhaps parents around the world were happier too, suddenly their kids didn't want the long 'Spartan' look anymore.

Messi has not only grown well on the pitch, but off it too. In his early playing career Messi was a Nike based player. He was involved in a few projects but never really was seen as a major contributor to the brand. Messi wore a selection of boots, T90's, Tiempo's and Mercurial Vapors...perhaps Nike will see their lack of capturing Messi early on as major mistake, but Adidas were spot on to sign him up. 

As seen in the picture above, Messi was part of the 'Joga Bonito' campaign. Messi's off the field team has been able to turn this boy wonder into a marketing machine, money makes the world go round.

Lionel Messi is the 10th wealthiest athlete in the world, the 26 year old footballer has a net worth of $41 million (According to Forbes). Considering that he is still only 26 and his source of wealth is generated predominantly from football, is staggering. Messi earns a cool £251 000 a week, (Including bonuses) Messi gets an extra 1.7 million. Nike offered Messi £120 000 a year to try persuade him to stay, but Messi and his team refused. Adidas came along and smashed out a £400 000 a year dea. Messi accepted and became the face of the famous F50 speed Adidas boot. The rest is history and now Messi gets a £2 million yearly salary from Adidas. 

The Messi marketing ship doesn't anchor there, Messi has also been on the covers of Pro Evolution Soccer, but in 2011 the superstar moved to EA's world famous FIFA. There is no recorded fee of how much EA pay the star, but they are a major contributor  to his off field endorsement deals which add up to a hefty $19 million (According to Forbes). Messi's other endorsements include Pepsi, Dolce & Gabanna, Turkish Airlines, Cherry, Audemars Piguet and more. 

In 2013 Adidas launched his icon signature line in 2013. It is only the second time they have done so for one of their brand ambassadors (the first was with David Beckham).

Messi has not only transformed himself in the financial ranks, he has moved up in the fashion scene. In our fist glimpses of Messi fashion wise, he started off with the baggy jeans, t-shirt and a sport jacket. Messi now has a stylist and he/she is working their magic, Messi has now become more dapper and buying high end fashion threads. 

Leo has become a style icon, many thanks  goes to his endorsement from Dolce & Gabanna. The Italians saw potential in Messi, when others couldn't. The little Argentinian does surprise those who don't see what he can do, Messi enjoys wearing his Dolce, Armani, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. He is certainly a well rounded style icon, he has grown in stature and become one of the top. 

Messi's upgrade in style has landed him in a few major style & fashion magazines across the globe. 

King Leo is a marketable figure, he sets the right examples on the field and off it. To be a true 'Off The Field' king you must set the best standards...always, Messi is one who does that. Marketability comes from good credibility and integrity. The big business's want to ensure their 'brand faces' are setting the right example. 

Messi is ambassador for Unicef and contributes his time and finances to different charities and projects around the world.

 

He is a family man, still getting used to life as a father but genuinely seems to be enjoying it. 

These are all the things that allows Messi to be so marketable. Of course a lot people will say its boring, they want someone like Ronaldo, flashy and in your face. Yes true this does sell, but a true king is watched on the thrown...not parading in the streets. 

Now with the world in his hands, what does Leo spend all this money on?.

Messi is a fan of white cars, most of his vehicles have a white paint job. His favorite is the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale, he also has a Audi R8, Range Rover Evoque, Ferrari F430 Spider and others.

King Leo is what you would call the 'Secret Agent' of celebrities, he is hardly ever seen. When the little maestro is off the football field, he escapes the world's eye and enjoys his private time. His mason in Barcelona is incredibly difficult to see from ground level, well protected too. 

The Argentine's other assets include several properties in his hometown of Rosario in 

Argentina including the house he grew up in, an exclusive apartment, holiday homes and a massive compound for his family.

Messi isn't known for being a party man, but those close to him say that he is the life of a party.

On holiday Messi enjoys spending time with family as much as possible, but when he is able to get some down time, he often spends it with friends.

As the saying goes, ''Behind every successful man, lies a extremely gorgeous woman''. Meet Messi's childhood sweetheart  Antonella Roccuzzo, a Argentinian model. The two have been happily together for a long time and as mentioned previously, she gave birth to their first child, Thiago.  

Messi is certainly one lucky guy, the two spend as much time together as possible. Reports say Messi will be tying the note with his sweetheart very soon. 

Most athletes these days have seen the power of social netowrks, Messi and his team have also jumped on the ship. For someone who enjoys to keep his private life quiet, it must have taken a lot of convincing to get him to agree. If you would like to follow 'King Leo' on his various social media platforms, you can here. 

• Facebook LeoMessi
• Instagram leo10messi 

Well there you have it, the world's best player...'The King' of Barcelona, as we saw in the last edition Neymar put up a good fight, but Messi rules at the end of the day. Yes he may not be as flashy, but he makes it count where it matters. #OffTheFieldXT salutes you Leo, you do what you do well.

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this series, as today is a special day in South Africa (The 18th of July) I would like to use this opportunity to wish Mr. Nelson Mandela a very happy 95th birthday and a speedy recovery. Thank you Tata! God bless you.

If you would like to follow me on Twitter you can do so here Denisao4 

Thank you! Peace & Love

Off The Field - (Part 1) Messi vs. Neymar - 'The Golden Boy'

Millions of F.C Barcelona fans would have watched the CONFED Cup in Brazil with a lot pride, seeing their new boy Neymar light up the world with his stunning performances. Like many of us around the world, we are all excited by the prospect of seeing Messi and Neymar link up. Perhaps the only person who wasn't keen on the deal is Barcelona legend Johan Cruyf, the Dutch master recently had this to say about the Neymar move.

 "No, I wouldn't have signed Neymar," Cruyff told Marca. "With Neymar on board, I would have planned for the possibility of selling Messi - and some would agree with that, others not.'' 

"It's like the free kicks. Neymar is very good at taking them, and Messi has already shown he is. Who's going to take them?''

"Or the fact that Neymar and Barcelona are with Nike while Leo is with Adidas. These are situations that could cause problems."

Now you can either agree with the man or not, but he raises some valid points. Is there enough space for Neymar's growing ego in the changing room...already the Nou Camp has to cope with Messi's, will it work?. In my opinion I believe it will, but I thought it would be interesting to see who wins in terms of the off the field shine between the two. King Leo may be seen as a shy, humble and silent man off the field but he does stack a lot of cash (Lets forget the tax avoidance claims), he is one of the highest paid athletes on the planet. As for Neymar, he has come from being top dog in Brazil and now has to fight for the crown in Spain. 

CONTENDER #1

The Challenger 

From Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil

21 Years Old

The 'Spice Boy' 'Golden Boy'

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior 

Now if you have no idea how popular this young man is in his home country, you surely have been asleep. Neymar is the poster boy for Brazil, following in the footsteps of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Robinho before him. His reputation is massive and so is his off the field presence, he may only be 21 but while he was in Santos...he ran the game. 

Now to be a 'Bling-Boy' you need to set trends, as we see in the pics above Neymar has certainly done so. The Ney-Hawk (Neymar Mohawk) at a stage was arguably the most favorite hairstyle at the barber shops in Brazil, every kid wanted one. Since then Neymar has moved to a more clean cut look, but the youngster knows how to appeal himself to the younger generation. He is a likable character, he likes to have fun and enjoys his life. 

He may have silky skills but the young man also has outrageous and quality celebrations, he definitely will show Xavi and the boys how to move and groove. He even went so far as to celebrate with his own face mask on, this got him booked (Bad Sport Referee) yet again showing the flair and charisma the boy has.

Here are a few clips of Neymar's celebration dances

The Brazil star has his own style when it comes to dressing off the field, he brings together a unique teen/young adult urban style to the dressing room. Neymar enjoys to rock his snapback or fitted caps whenever he can, his cross-chain, ear-rings, g-shock watches and any other ice accessories he can. Neymar also loves music so you can often see him with custom made Beats By Dre. If he isn't wearing his Armani clothing, you can often catch Neymar in his attire from Nike. Being one of Nike's highest endorsed athletes, Neymar takes full advantage of being able to rock their gear. 

Neymar can also clean up and look dapper when he has to...

Neymar has modeled for many brands in Brazil and Europe, as well as been on the cover of multiple magazines.

Of course the #1 mag every footballer wants to be on (besides Forbes) has to be GQ, Neymar was on the cover of his home edition this year. GQ might be big but Neymar is the only Brazilian athlete to ever grace the world famous TIME magazine, a massive achievement considering Brazil's sportsmen and women over the years.

 

We all know boys like their toys, in the land of the rich and famous what you drive is what you are. While in Brazil, Neymar had the car below plus a Porsche Panamera, a helicpoter and a yacht. You can also catch him time zone surfing in a private jet, personalized too.

Luxury

R8 Spider

We not exactly sure as to what cars the young footballer will be driving in Spain, he is still adjusting to the country. Buying a house and all, the youngster will be sixth highest paid player at Barcelona. Which leaves him miles behind 'King Leo' ,but in time the young man's wages will increase and either way he is still earning some serious cash. Neymar is after all the 7th richest footballer in the world, at 21 that is a massive achievement. 

Neymar may be all about fun and jokes but when it comes to girls, he doesn't joke around. Of course there are millions of women/girls around the world who would love to be with him, but sorry ladies he is taken. Introducing Bruna Marquezine (Yeah what a name but what a girl)

Bruna is from Brazil, she is a actress and model. The two have been happily together for some time and even though Neymar is already a young father it doesn't bother the couple. The Barca will be on hand to give Neymar props for having such a beautiful girlfriend, when Neymar isn't training the two enjoy spending time together. 

Neymar is a lad that loves to sing, dance and have a good time, he usually isn't far away from a party. The star might not party as much as he did in his teen years, when he can though...best believe its going down!. 

Neymar prefers to spend his time with friends and family on his $8million yacht. 

Neymar is highly endorsed by a number of brands and companies. Redbull, Internet Group do Brasil, Hublot and Nextel. Obviously Neymar's biggest endorsement deal is with Nike Football, in 2011 at 18/19 years old Neymar signed a 11 year contract with the mega sports brand. From all his deals Neymar takes home a stunning $10million, not bad for a young-gun. Neymar is the face of Nike's new boot the Hypervenom and the deal link up nicely, as both Brazil (His national team) & F.C Barcelona are Nike teams. 

Neymar is also up there in the social media game, whether it be Twitter or Instagram he seems to have all of them on lock. The fans love what adds, his flamboyant wealthy snaps, cute pics with him and family and his funny additions too. If you would like to follow Neymar on his various social network handles, here you go.

• Twitter @Njr92
• Facebook Neymaroficial
• Instagram njunior11

Neymar is certainly a world star, his move to Europe is one that will see him only grow as a player and brand. Does he have what it takes to compete with Messi?, indeed he does. The young Brazilian, is without a doubt the #1 contender to the crown. Will he beat Messi though? Stay tuned for Messi's blog on Thursday

Thanks as always for reading, hope you enjoyed this edition of #OffTheFieldXT

If you'd like to follow me on Twitter or Facebook you can do so here

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