Agents are a popular – and easy – target in the soccer industry.
Often portrayed as being motivated solely by money, agents can end up as public enemy number one for clubs and their fans.
The announcement released today, then, does not fit the stereotype of the hard-nosed, money-hungry suit behind the athlete.
A team of top agents in Germany, representing more than 200 elite players including Liverpool’s Sadio Mané, Bayern Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz, Manchester City’s Ilkay Gündoğan and Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard, have united to support a project for disadvantaged youth.
Powered by Common Goal, a social impact movement in soccer, a group of 13 German soccer agencies has raised more than €500,000 ($561,000) for a fund to support vulnerable young people. The fund, open to players, managers and other soccer stakeholders, will create virtual spaces to support those without access to education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In partnership with German NGO Die Arche, safe spaces including football pitches and youth community centres will also be established in 10 German cities where Bundesliga teams play.
The project, using a concept from Common Goal partner organization KICKFAIR, will provide opportunities to play, learn and develop for up to 10,000 vulnerable young people.
The German player agencies part of the initiative are: Arena11, Spielerrat, Sports United Management, Rummenigge Sports Management, IFM, think forward sportmanagement, Grass is Green, Ilhan Gündoğan, Apertura, Haspel Sportconsulting, feel soccer, Bektas Demirtas, and AKA Global.
