Building networks key to building squads

Technology has made the world smaller and the TransferRoom platform is enabling over 650 clubs from more than 50 countries to conduct business fast and efficiently on a daily basis.

But sometimes there’s no substitute for face-to-face meetings, as attendees at the TransferRoom Americas Summit: Special Edition last week will testify. 

There were multiple clubs represented from leagues in: Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela.

In addition there were close to 10 high-profile agencies, the first time agents had been permitted to attend a TransferRoom live summit.

Connecting global decision makers and providing them with reliable first-hand information on club needs is what differentiates TransferRoom, and event attendees were quick to take advantage of this, with some 600 fast-paced, 15 minute meetings held over the course of the two days.

Food for thought: clubs and agents from across the Americas connect in Orlando

Rodrigo Dias, General Manager of Brazilian giants Vasco da Gama, said: “It was great to be able to increase the relationship network with other clubs and expand the market for possible business in the future. The face-to-face is important in the world of football.”

Ricardo Moreira, Technical Director of Orlando City SC, the local MLS club, added: “Connecting decision makers help clubs get to their main point: decisions.”

Vasco were able to take advantage of their time in Florida by visiting both Orlando City SC and Inter Miami in person: connections made on TransferRoom that are flourishing offline.

In fact, for one Uruguayan club, the visit to Orlando marked a prompt return to the US.

Two club executives had not long finished a near month-long road trip through the states, visiting MLS clubs in the likes of New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston and Austin to learn more about their ways of working and seeing first-hand their training facilities and academies.

The trip was organised off the back of relationships that originated from TransferRoom virtual events.

With the transfer market still open in a number of leagues, including MLS where left backs appear to be in short supply judging by the conversations on the shop floor, a number of deals are expected to have been initiated from this event.

One agent even suggested as many as five transfers could be sparked from talks in Orlando.

For others, it was about planning for the next transfer window and laying the foundations for future deals.

Andrew Taylor, Loans Manager at Leeds United, said: “You can’t beat the interaction of the live events. The one-on-one talks are obviously good and the networking too helps make great connections. You get right to the point, and you're speaking to people who make the decisions about players.

“You quickly get a clear idea of what other clubs want, what they expect and vice versa. It’s a great opportunity for us to build relationships with key individuals in these clubs.”

Izmir Mirvic, the US-based Owner of FK Sarajevo, from Bosnia & Herzegovina, added: “Being a new owner I found it effective, valuable, concise. Perfect. To put together such a big event with a high level group of people, especially with Covid still a factor, was just great.”

Inspirational speakers set the tone

Mirvic was one of a number of team owners in attendance in Orlando.

Two of them, Paul Conway and Philip Platek, shared their insights and experiences on the growth and future direction of multi-club ownership.

Between their organisations, Conway and Platek own nine clubs in eight countries at present. 

Judging by the number of participants that approached the two men over the course of the Summit, their portfolios could be growing further in the months ahead.

Owners panel: Philip Platek (centre) and Paul Conway (right) share their insights

Day one kicked off with a panel session involving Andre Zanotta, Chief Soccer Officer and Technical Director, FC Dallas, and Ernst Tanner, Sporting Director at Philadelphia Union.

Two clubs with the best academies in MLS, a recent reputation for selling homegrown players for big money into Europe and, increasingly, scouting South America for the best talent.

An insight into their buying strategies certainly whet the appetite for the Latin American clubs with talent to sell.

Zanotta said: "I think more and more players from South America and their agents are understanding that this is a good step up in between their dreams of playing in Europe. The league is showing its knowledge of finding talent in South America, bringing them to MLS to continue their development and then helping us grow the league, helping the overall league to be better, and then also we can profit from them in the future of course."

Tanner added: "The players all want to come to the US, that is a big advantage. They all see the US as an emerging football market and a highly interesting market for establishing transfer potentials. If you need to integrate into a new country, it’s not always easy going into a Big 5 [European] league straight from South America. The US as a country and system here is so diverse and it’s much easier for these players to adapt, to find friends who speak their language."

Over the course of the weeks ahead, we’ll be bringing you exclusive interviews and insights from the Americas Summit.