How to become a football agent?

From September to May, football fans around the world follow their teams as they battle it out for trophies and prizes, no matter what league or country. As the drama and tension dies down in the off-season, a new focus emerges – what new players is the club going to sign in the transfer window?

Behind the scenes in any transfer is a key figure in the world of football: the players' agent. In this post, we explain what a football agent does and what you need to do to work in this area of sport, such as studying a Master in Sports Law LLM at the Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea.

What does a football agent do?

In football, an agent is a representative and intermediary who manages the interests of a player or players. The main responsibilities of an agent include:

• Negotiating contracts to achieve the best possible outcome for their client.
• Seeking sponsorship deals
• Organising interviews on television, radio and digital media.
• Providing journalists with access to players for interviews or newspaper articles.

Requirements to become a football agent

To become a football agent, there are certain skills and requirements, which we explain below:

• Drive and ambition: especially at the beginning of your career, before you can join an agency, you will need to be incredibly disciplined. You will be working alone and must be independent and willing to work the hours necessary to achieve your goals.
• Confidence: You will need to be confident and able to demonstrate that your self-confidence is not unjustified. If you are negotiating for a player, you must be able to show that you trust them, or they will be impossible to sign.
• Excellent knowledge of the law: A large part of a football agent's job is to manage the legal side of his clients' contracts. This means he must have an excellent knowledge of how the law applies to his clients.
• Reliability and tact: while representing your clients, your clients often entrust you with numerous secrets and confidential information. Your clients must trust you completely, as you control their future, so you must be reliable and tactful at all times.
• Passion for football: It should go without saying, but without a passion for football itself, you are unlikely to get very far as a football agent. You need to have an impeccable knowledge of the market, and without passion to drive this, it will be difficult to achieve.
• Very solid market knowledge: Your knowledge of the market will be the stage at which you will negotiate your clients' contracts. This knowledge could be the key to finding your client a successful career opportunity, so make sure you are at the absolute top of your game.
• Exceptional communication skills: A large part of the role of a football agent is to be a go-between for your clients. You will need excellent interpersonal skills to negotiate successfully and also to communicate effectively with the players themselves.

What do you have to study to become a football agent?

Previously, it was necessary to pass an exam and register with FIFA to become a football agent. However, that process ended in 2015. In Spain, to become a football agent, you still need to register with the Spanish football association (RFEF).

The sector is incredibly competitive and, while there is no formal route to becoming an agent, many of those working in the industry are lawyers. This is due to the amount of legal knowledge required to negotiate contracts with clubs and other organisations.

The Master's Degree in Sports Law is a pioneering programme in Spain where you will share a classroom with professionals from the most important international law firms in sports law, and you will also be able to enjoy professional internships. You will study sports law in an interdisciplinary way and from different perspectives.

Does Universidad Europea have other options?

Since the profession of football agent has a very international focus, at the Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea, we also offer the MBA In Sports Management. We know that you will have other professional and personal commitments, and that is why we offer you the possibility to study the Executive MBA in Sports Management Online too.