Q & A's

I have received a dussin of emails and a similar amount of PM's with question and feedback from my twitter/blog. Many questions are very similar (obviously some of my texts lack in clarity) but there are also quite a few general wonderings in regards to my line of work. 

Everybody with interest in sport agent world (it being a hobby or a full time profession) know it is very much a closed environment. I find this strange and directly negative and therefore willing to share knowledge I never received. I want to point out that I am not doing this in order to use this to my own personal advantage, opposite I think the advantage itself is created through the transparency.

Here we go:

1. FIFA considering cancelling the current license system:

=  I have heard/red this as well. Before applying for taking the exam I did extensive research, speaking to my federation, current agents and "experts". All of the agree that this is not realistic to happen in any near future, the main reason is solely that FIFA has not come up with any good alternative that all FIFA members will accept. 

2. Many agents work without having a license, do I really need one? 

= My opinion and experience, YES. Around 80% clubs/agents/players I have been in touch with has asked me for proof of license. Mostly since I act in within UEFA which compared to the rest of confederations is more developed/strict. Turn it around and I would only be able to capitalize on around 20% of the business I have created. In all leagues were there is serious money I would say this is a necessity, so if u are not waiting for your parents trust fund to kick in or have a another income source my answer is yes. 

3. What prerequisites and how much time to I need to spend on studying?

= Each association determined their on prerequisites (on top of what FIFA requires) so I cant answer this. The topic of studying is of course very individual, i studied around 100 hours. See earlier post on this subject...

4. How much savings do I need to have before starting as a FIFA Players' Agent? 

Stage 1 = around 4000€ (required documents+exam fees+license fees+insurance fees) and ofcourse if u quit your job as I did, personal cost of living.

Stage 2 = Statistically very few agents make any business the first 2-3 windows, due to various reasons. So You need to be liquid enough to pay your personal bills during this period. 

Stage 3 = start of by yourself or in a already established agency/group/network. If u decide to start yourself there are allot of costs, mostly associated to travel but also huge phonebills, office etc.

I chose to second option, giving up a huge % of my commission in order to get all costs covered.     

5. I only speak one language is this a major obstacle?

No, as long as it is English. FIFA can prepare all questions in english (i wrote them that way due to 75% study material is in english). As in all businesses language is here even more important, I speak 3 languages and will take upon a fourth after the summer window closes. 

6 . General tips on how to become a football agent.

Make up your mind and really go for it, often the worst thing that happens if you fail is not the end of the world. In my scenario; loose 4000€, loose 3-4 months in my already monotonous life, give up my old job/career, loose face etc. 

These were the most frequently asked questions. Hope the answers give some good insight, and as I wrote I will do my best to help out. Please only be patient when it comes delivery time... 

peace