About ten days ago a news item about her was published FIFA intends to limit the influence of managers on the football field, but also to reduce their commissions (their percentage, that is) from transfers.
What remains is for the FIFA to approve through its Executive Committee the decision to "limit the influence of the biggest agendas", in an effort to better delineate the international transfer market, at a time when big names in the international arena football They buy the best on the market, but do not use it in the best possible way, with the result that many athletes stay… wine cellar, or go on loan here and there.
According to FIFA data, it was estimated that from 2014 to 2019 (five years), the players' representatives received a total of 1,8 billion euros from their transfers. One of the most typical examples is that of Mino Raiola, the "demon" of Napolitano, who only from the transfer of Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United, is said to have received 40 million euros.
Therefore, the proposal is to limit the role of agendas in this area, with their commissions reduced to 3% on the part of the clubs selling their players and to 6% on the part of the teams that buy them. How, of course, this will be controlled is another story… All of this came to the fore, almost at the same time as the appearance of a comet team on the European and international football scene, which has made everyone realize even more how bigger the influence of manager in the most popular sport on the planet. And its name: Fallamikao.
The team of Jorge Mendes that suddenly entered the map
It is a team in the north of Portugal, founded in 1931 and based in the city of Villa Nova de Famalicao, having all seven appearances in the top division of the Portuguese league, including the current one. From the 2010-11 season until today, he has managed to "climb" from the 4th category of the country, happily to the 1st, being in fact at the top of the standings with 19 points in 7 matches, having a harvest of 6 wins and only 1 draw, her at the headquarters of the rather strong Vitoria Guimaraes.
The result that shocked almost the whole of Europe, was the "double" (1-2) at the headquarters of Sporting Lisbon on September 23, which also brought developments on the side of the "lions", while it automatically put Famalicao in the… bay for the European tickets for the next season through the Primeira Liga.
The history of the team based in the suburbs of Braga, changed when in June 2018 its majority stake passed into the hands of 64-year-old tycoon, Indan Ofer. However, the whole football field knows that it is not the Israeli businessman who is moving the threads in the club, but the powerful agent from Portugal, representative -among others- of Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Radamel Falcao and Jose Mourinho, the well-known and not exceptional, Jorge Mendes. In fact, he is the one who commands almost everything and of course he also makes a big profit from this whole story.
The name "boss" is an attraction for players
Ofer also owns 32% of Atletico Madrid. The two teams have now developed strong bonds with each other, which does not seem at all strange. The club of the Spanish capital has lent to Famalicao the stopper, Neuen Pereth, but also the winger, Nicolas Chiapacase, while with a free transfer, the defensive midfielder, Gustavo Asuncaso, left.
The Israeli businessman is a close associate of Mendes, who is not the first time he has had such a strong influence on a Portuguese team. It also had partial control of Rio Ave, until about two years ago. However, he did not manage to get his hands on the majority stake in the team at Villa do Conte, through a fund he commands.
So he decided to go a little further… next to it, exactly 28,9 kilometers further east and build a project there according to his standards. Mendes "kicked" in Famalicao with Ofer in front and in record time for the data of its size, he achieved something that even the most optimistic and loyal fans of the team did not expect: to put it in football map not only in the Iberian country, but also in Europe. Now, there are many fans abroad who want to see what her course will be during the season. If, in fact, he manages to qualify for the European competitions, then it will be a "miracle", which nevertheless has an explanation.
Last summer, Famalicao proceeded with a very strong reinforcement, with 19 transfers. Many of these players went there on loan from stronger football brand names, but given that they would be playing for Mendes' team, they wanted to seize the opportunity. The small group of the Portuguese north, at the same time, financially can not be considered a negligible amount. The budget of around 7 million euros can be "looked at" and exceeded only by Porto, Benfica, Sporting and Braga.
Trust… Mendes… children for all posts
The president of the team is Miguel Ribeiro, while the coach is Joao Pedro Souza, who until recently was Marco Silva's assistant in Estoril, Sporting Lisbon, Olympiakos, Hull, Watford and Everton (until a few months ago).
The transfers that were made, were from clubs that are in the sphere of influence of Mendes. In addition to Perez, Chiapacase and Asuncio, Roderick Miranda (on loan) and Pedro Gonzalves (free) from Wolves, Alex Candejes and Uros Racic from Valencia (both on loan) went to Famalicao (both on loan), but also free ), Diogo Gonzalves (on loan) from Benfica and Fabio Martins (on loan), Joao Neto (free) from Braga.
In fact, Wolverhampton's club in England is almost exclusively controlled by Mendes, having sent many of his clients / players there. Also, everyone can imagine how crucial his role was Portuguese agenda to complete the deal with Joao Felix at Atletico, whose transfer from Lisbon and Benfica to Madrid would never have been possible without him, even with the amount of 126 million euros.
An optimistic message for the future or a "black" manta for the sport?
Famalica's future is at least optimistic, at least as long as one of the most successful is in command agendas of the world. After all, his presence there can attract names that in the past could only be imagined for the otherwise insignificant club as distant dreams.
However, the question that comes in, and in fact from many of the football world, is whether a successful course - which is defined as such - will create the. Need for similar projects in the near future. That is, to control teams of people whose role in the sport is different on paper, but now they influence too many things and situations, create new balances and affect his character dramatically, as long as the ball is a product.