How to become a football agent: 10 professional duties of an agent + 5 qualities that a good specialist must have + 5 stages of obtaining a FIFA license + 2 main ways to become a football agent.

The world of football has long ceased to be perceived by many as a sports environment, and football players as athletes.

For the unenlightened, footballers are the favorites of fortune, the rich, the stars who receive a lot of money without doing anything special.

So how not to be tempted to join this world of the rich and famous?

It's stupid to dream of becoming a top football player without playing football, but to think how to become a football agent, nobody bothers.

Of course, the path to becoming a football agent is not easy. It is impossible to master this profession from scratch without connections and understanding the specifics of football.

And yet the situation is not at all hopeless, especially for those who have set themselves a specific goal, but simply dream for themselves, doing nothing at the same time.

Who is a football agent and how do you become one?

Before trying to become a football agent, you must understand what kind of profession it is and whether it is right for you.

I think it will be easier for you to draw some conclusions if you familiarize yourself with the history of the formation of various football agents.

1) Football agent is not an easy, albeit interesting profession.

Not only footballers have agents, but many other professional athletes as well. Today we simply cannot do without them.

A football agent is a manager who:

• represents the interests of his client;
• conducts negotiations on his behalf;
• concludes the most beneficial contracts for him;
• regulates legal disputes;
• communicates with the fanclub;
• gives comments to the press;
• looking for advertisers and sponsors;
• negotiates a transfer to another team;
• is engaged in insurance;
• settles the personal affairs of a football player, makes sure that he does not violate the sports regime, becomes his friend and mentor, etc.

You must conduct your activities within the framework of the rules of the sports Federation, so as not to make yourself into trouble and not frame the athlete you represent.

A football agent is actually the same as a producer for singers. Only the producer almost always invests his own funds in order to then make money on the one he made a star. But a football player's agent works for a salary or a percentage of the athlete's income.

The level of English should not be "London from the capitel of great British", but quite confident, so that you can easily understand the native speaker and express your thoughts to him.

A functionary who travels everywhere with an interpreter is unlikely to be taken seriously by anyone.

Understanding football.

Of course, your business is not a game, but a business, but if you don’t understand anything about what you are going to promote, then it will be difficult for you.

After all, a cosmetics businessman knows not only trading strategies and ways to make a profit, but he is also well versed in the product that he offers to the client.

An analytical mind.

There is an opinion that all athletes (and especially football players) are stupid. We will not argue whether this is so or not, but all sports officials and people who make money from football are definitely smart.

If you want to become an agent, you have to calculate a few steps ahead, and in general - correspond to their level.

A whole set of positive qualities.

Here, of course, everything is individual, but almost all successful agents of football players are smart, sociable, responsible, punctual, calm, etc. Build your positive qualities to replenish their number.

How to become a football agent: license and methods

Not everyone on the street can become a football agent. To do this, you need to fulfill a number of requirements of the sports Federation, obtain a license, and pass an exam.

Another problem is to squeeze into a narrow circle of "insiders" who are very reluctant to open ranks in order to let someone else in.

How to become a licensed football agent?

If you want to become an official football representative, and not lead a miserable illegal existence, then you need to get a FIFA license.

The algorithm of actions to become a football agent is as follows:

to the Football Federation of Ukraine (http://www.ffu.org.ua/ukr/ffu/about/ffu_comettee/11/), the Russian Football Union (http://www.rfs.ru/rfs/documents/strategies/) or to the Football Federation of your home country a number of documents:



Requirements for the list of documents may be different, so it is better to find out everything directly on the spot.

1. Pay a cash fee.

   The amounts may be different, for example, the cost of a contribution in Ukraine is about UAH 10,000. It is better to find out everything directly in the administration of the FFU or in the RFU.

   Prepare for exams.

   These exams are held 2 times a year (March and September). Number of questions - 20. Some of them are prepared by FIFA, some - by the domestic Football Federation.

   Most of the questions concern the rules of work of functionaries, the requirements of FIFA and the Football Federations of countries, etc.

   Answer at least 14 questions correctly.

   If you answer fewer questions, then you will not be issued a license, so you need to prepare for the exam as seriously as possible.

   Pay insurance.

   This item is relevant only for those who have already received a license. It is optional, but desirable, especially for novice agents. Insurance is a very useful thing.

   For example, if you get sued and you lose, the insurance will cover all costs. The cost of insurance is not less than 1,000 euros.

The license you receive is valid for only 5 years. After that, you need to undergo recertification.

In this video he shares his experience

Jorge Mendes is the richest football agent:

2 ways to become a football agent

The well-known sports functionary Anton Evmenov, former director of the CSK club, blogger, writer claims that becoming a football representative is very difficult, especially if you have not been associated with football before.

Clubs, in his opinion, almost never invite scouts and outside agents, preferring to cooperate with former footballers who are changing roles.

And yet there are two ways to become a football agent:

Get a job at a football club.

Do not try to get a job there as a breeder or scout right away if you have no work experience. Start small - Administrator, marketer, translator, secretary - everything will be fine to get you started.

Look closely at how agents of football players and scouts work, who are looking for new talent, learn from them, learn from experience. You can ask to be an assistant to someone, albeit on a voluntary basis.

Having shown yourself well and acquiring useful contacts, you can begin to move towards breeding work.

When there is an open vacancy for an agent, apply for it.

If you are considered a good employee, then, most likely, you will be given a chance to prove yourself in this position.

Look for talents on your own.

The easiest way to become a star footballer's agent is to raise one from a young age.

This is exactly what Volker Stroot did when he saw great potential in the teenager Mario Goetze.

Visit sections, sports schools, city championships in search of young talents.

Naturally, in order to make the right choice, you need not only to have good intuition, but to have a certain gift of foresight.

But, if you make the right choice and find a real star among the guys who are passionate about football, then you will ensure yourself a successful career and huge earnings. And then you will already dictate the terms to the football clubs, and not they to you.

That, in fact, is all about how to become a football agent... Then everything depends only on you. If you are not afraid of difficulties and do not become lazy, then you will achieve success in this interesting and highly paid profession.

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Golovin talked to the man in charge of the Smolnikov and Alenichev cases.

Alexander Manyakov is the head of Follow Me Sports Agency. His agency ranks first in Russia in terms of the number of clients among football players - 98 players from 57 clubs. He started the company in 2005 and in 13 years has amassed a base of players from eight national teams.

Alexander Golovin met with Manyakov to understand how the agency business actually works.

Who Manyakov worked before becoming an agent

- I graduated from the Lokomotiv football school in 1993. After that I played in the youth team of "Spartak", there was such a team under a double. In it he crossed paths with people who later became famous - Gunko, Meleshin, Dzhubanov. I still communicate with them, as well as with Titov. But he was not in the youth team - he was immediately transferred from the academy to the double, because he looked the coolest. When I was still running for Lokomotiv, I was personally put against Yegor, although there was no chance - I drove decently.

- Who else stood out as a child?

- I remember Shevchenko. I saw him in the final part of the USSR championship in 1991. Spartak, Lokomotiv, Dynamo Kiev got there. I remember that we were accommodated in a boarding school for the mentally retarded in Stupino. We lived in one wing, Spartak in the other.

- And the patients?

- They were removed from the boarding school. And so we with Lokomotiv then went against Kiev in the group stage. We lost 1: 4, Sheva scored two. He was very striking. Not ahead of everyone in physical development, but looked great. By the way, Shovkovsky seemed to be standing at the gate then, while Roma Sharonov and Evseev played for us. Vadik is generally my godfather. I am the godfather of his daughter Polina, he is my elder Dasha. And Vadik's wife Tatyana is the godmother of the middle daughter Anya.

- Did Yevseev behave as impudently as he does now?

- I was not a bully - such a quiet C grade student. He played naughty sometimes. Once we were going to a training camp near Tula - a whole carriage was allocated for the team in the train. The train stopped at the stations, but our doors did not open. And how they got under way - on the platform some kind of boil immediately rose, people yelled .. I ask: "Why are you neighing?" - "Nothing". And on a new one. The coach then came up: "Good." It turned out that they were taking out tomatoes and eggs that the mothers had taken with them on the road. The train began to move - they threw them at passers-by.

- After school, could you get into a professional team?

- I was there - in Mytishchi. Just graduated from the school "Locomotive", got into the "Torpedo MKB". It was among the leaders of the third league. I was considered the youngest, local, so they wanted to leave. But he was stupid. At first I was just practicing, the contract was not offered. Ambitions played. I thought I was fine and went to Lokomotiv's double. I ran for a week and said: "Thank you, don't." I didn’t go back to Mytishchi - my conscience wouldn’t allow it. He walked without a team and studied at the Pedagogical Institute with Spartacists - Gunko, Dzhubanov. They suggested: "Come to us." The coach, Anatoly Fedoseevich Korolev, was warned. He is a very cool specialist, he brought up a lot of young people, and he remembered me from playing for Loko.

Maniacs with Dmitry Gunko

I come to the arena - squares. My head was spinning, I did not leave the square. The first six months were very difficult. We played at KLF, many international tournaments, but they didn’t take me - I didn’t make it. I played football badly, it's not easy. Plus from the outskirts of Mytishchi, street, late 90s. This also crippled my career a little.

- How?

- I was almost imprisoned for theft.

- Was something really stolen?

- Of course. But I don’t want to remember the details. In general, many went to crime from the yard. Half of them are no longer alive - drugs, murder. I don't remember high-profile cases, but minor disassembly constantly took place. We had a fight with someone at the disco, we'll meet tomorrow. They are not there, someone else has arrived, bleating. Once he was in the car, they took him to the forest, they put a pistol on him. Didn't give it out. They gave five for endurance, said: "Tell them that we are looking for them."

- Have you been kicked out of Spartak for theft?

- Then he was already listed in the "Rode". Spartak gave it to such a Moscow team. It was sponsored by Oleg Sienko, until recently the director of Uralvagonzavod. He played for her. And I went to the cell for a week because of that theft. When I came out, they told me: "Let's do it without discrediting." I ran a little more and went to mini-football. I went out against Eremenko. He was greyish on the field. But in the game against him and "Dina" my head was spinning. I also remember Grigory Ivanov - he played then. Emotional, although quickly departed.

Spent three months in mini. Even during the incident with the camera, the lawyer said an interesting thing: “You are not a stupid guy. You understand that others need to earn money. You better study - your head is light, your speech is normal, you position yourself correctly. " Roda's coach Volodya Apachinsky said something similar. He owned a car business. He asked: “What the fuck are you into all this? You can also go to business. " It sunk into me. He confessed, received the Holy Communion, and began to go to church. And I realized that crime is not mine. For him, you need to have a certain kind of character, a way of thinking. Do not be afraid. And I am a doubter.

How Manyakov became an agent

- What happened after football?

- Comrade, Oleg Malezhik, he is also Mytishchinsky, in 1997 he invited me to the second higher: “There is a law faculty of the Moscow State Law Academy. Let's go to?". I agreed, although I was still studying at the first institute.

Oleg started working in banks early. And when he graduated from the academy, he opened an investment company. She was engaged in mediation in transactions with bills. Invited me. The meaning of what - there is, for example, the Moscow railway and some kind of carrier. There is no money on the road to pay for transportation. So they write you a bill. At the same time, you overestimate the cost of work. The work costs two million, you write five. When you sell a bill to a third party, you make a discount - you give it back for just two. And people buy, because then they can demand an amount of three million from the road. Or a comparable service.

- What exactly did you do?

- He brought people together. You need a bill of exchange from an energy company, and I know who is selling it, because I’m on the phone all the time, I’m looking for information. In short, he acted as an intermediary, some of the parties paid me for this. The first deal took place two weeks later. Although before that there was a choice - to go to the company or a security guard to the parking lot, which was opened next to the house. I chose the center of Moscow after all.

Then it spilled over into the petrochemical business. I still have it - I am engaged in solvents and paints and varnishes, I sell them. In 2004, for this work, he left for Dzerzhinsk for a year. The company "Polikom" is still operating there, which produces antifreeze and solvents. I met her owners. And their friend sat down for eight years with confiscation of property. He is survived by his 14-year-old son, a football player. They say: "Take him to Moscow - we will be lost." I took it, got it in Lokomotiv, he even got into the youth team. And I became friends there guys. Including with Smolnikov.

- How? You are an adult, they are children.

- Yes, they just talked. As there are parents who constantly accompany the team. It was interesting to me, there is a lot of time. He was constantly hanging out at Lokomotiv, everyone knew. Including the coach of the 1988 national team Nikolai Smirnov. He introduced people from the legal department of the RFU, told how agents work. I got a license, signed contracts with the boys. The coaches said: “Come on, San. You and your children are good at it. You won't throw. " And so it started.

- Do not really understand. 16-year-old boys play at school, then a man comes up to them and asks them to sign a contract. The same Smolnikov immediately agreed?

- I didn't even ask questions. He knew me for six months, was a close friend. Like a younger brother. I gave money, we ate in restaurants.

- Is he your first client?

- The first one, after all, is the one with whom the dad was imprisoned. He did not become a football player, now he lives in Krasnodar and works there as a lawyer. Dad brought him to his place. And Igor is the first of those who reached this level. Although I did not get into the double with Bilyaletdinov - I was ill for almost the entire graduation year. He was small, and then how he began to grow. Muscles did not keep pace with the growth of bones. Because of this, injuries happened. But Volchek took him to Torpedo. Igor came to the double for $ 300 a month.

- Did you earn money from the transfer?

- Yes, what is there. Malezhik and I - he also received a license - received the first money for a foreigner. Such a Cameroonian Bertrand Ngapunu played in Rostov, but he was asked from there. I sat without a command. Someone advised us, said that the person was in search: "Will you help?" We began to offer it to various clubs and managed to find a place in Anji. Dmitry Galyamin paid five thousand dollars for two. It happened in August 2005. We got a license with Malezhik in April.

- Didn't you pay taxes?

- Of course. Moreover, for the next year and a half, there was nothing at all. We have no connections, signed by young people, no parish. I remember how we met in the evening at the Format shopping center on Yaroslavka. Oleg says: “###, San, n #### c, s ##### o” - “Now the transfer window. If we do not earn anything, we tie it up. " And they started working. A guy from St. Petersburg was recommended to us. The name was Yegor Kvach - just a talent. They sold him to Saturn, got 20 thousand dollars (in 2013, Kvach finished his professional career, that season he played two matches in FC Peter from the PFL - site).

And the first big money came thanks to Yuri Gazzaev. He said: “Bring me a foreigner to KAMAZ. In the summer of 2006, we organized the crossings of four Balkans - Petrovich, Grubeshtich, Todorovich and Zeba. We got a normal cabbage - I bought a Toyota RAV4 for it. And I realized that this could be done seriously.

- Transfer of your client with the highest commission?

- Igor Smolnikov when moving from Krasnodar to Zenit. And Emin Makhmudov from Saturn to Spartak.

- In both cases, the commission is more than 500 thousand euros?

Why agents are good

- When you came into business, did the experienced agents press?

- At a minimum. There was already a huge slice of the football pie. He was bitten not like now - a hundred agents, but several people - Oleg Artyomov, Pavel Andreev, Alexey Safonov, Arsen Minasov, Oleg Eremin. Those guys who got licenses are in front of us. They had enough people who played in the Premier League. And here we are - without any special connections. We decided that it was difficult to compete with monsters and began to sign promising and young ones. Nobody paid attention to them then. And we have established relations with the coaches of the youth teams. It was produced in 1988 - they knew all the boys by heart until 1992.

- Let's take the graduation year of any top Moscow academy - are all the players from it now on contracts with agents?

- Yes. Maybe not on contracts, but everyone has agents. Our youngest client was born in 2003. In general, children start monitoring at the age of 12. Agree with them, parents. With their consent, you can sign a contract at the age of 14. Although it is not a fact that a person will become a professional. And he does not bring money - first we invest.

I do not consider myself a top agent, but even now I have five people who go to children's tournaments, look at the boys, talk to them. Andreev, Artyomov, Tkachenko - the same thing.

- How does it work technologically? An agent comes to a tournament, sees a cool guy - comes up to his parents and offers services?

- This is true. Communicates, explains what and how. If the team already has our client, word of mouth works - parents are more accommodating. The first time - there is a cold conversation.

We mainly go to the final stages of the Russian championships and cups. Plus the Moscow championship, it is considered the strongest competition in the country. Information also comes from people who are friends with the agency.

- There is an opinion that at the children's level in Russia there are a lot of Messi-level talents, but no one knows about them. It's not true, is it?

- Of course. If a boy appeared, began to show himself vividly - a line of three or four clubs immediately lined up behind him. It doesn't matter what region he is from. At large agencies and academies of communication in many places, entire departments are working on staffing.

- Why then would a person at the age of 14 have an agent, if even without him there will be a queue of clubs for him?

- Even at this age, there should be a person nearby who understands this matter. Parents often deceive themselves. They believe that they can arrange the life of their son, in fact they do harm. Plus a career as a football player is a delicate thing. Some kind of misfortune happened, as I then got into the situation with the camera. In this case, you are given a lawyer from the state, the family has no money for a paid one. And the end. It's another matter when you call an agent and he hires a quality lawyer whom he knows well.

A simple example. In one of the Moscow academies, I have a boyfriend of 2001. Super talent. He was injured. The club says: “Sanya, we cannot operate on him because he is not on a contract. The chance of recovery is 50%. Let's do it this way: we divide the costs for the operation in half, the flight, recovery and everything else - from you. It will be restored - we will sign it, we will compensate everything ”.

- How much did you pay?

- The operation in the Italian Villa Stewart cost 10 thousand euros. I gave the five. Tickets to him, mom, and myself - a thousand. Recovery - another 40 thousand rubles, 70. I understand that I signed a contract with him, so I am responsible. I also understand the club. They had several cases when they signed the guys without an in-depth examination, and those got injuries. It is clear that they are reinsured. My boyfriend, by the way, is now starting to work in the general group.

- That is, the children's agents are even profitable for clubs?

“They’re afraid of them anyway. There are different people - one develops a career as a football player, and receives dividends from this. The other pursues only his own goals - he knows about a profitable option for the player, but unprofitable for himself and is silent.

I just have a good relationship with the kid's club. They know that I'm not going to jerk the player: “Hey, you are not appreciated here, let's go to Zenit. Transitions in kids' soccer don't make sense. If this is a promotion from Mytishchi to CSKA - yes. But why run from Spartak to Dynamo and back? We never initiate this. On the contrary, a year ago I knocked like a madman at Lokomotiv. They did not give a contract to Roma Tugarev - the most talented person in the youth team. Korneev has just left, Panchenko has not come yet - everyone goes to school in parallel. The guy could easily be taken anywhere. But I myself asked: "Make a contract."

How much do agents earn

- I'm a young agent who signs children. I have nothing from them. Where to get money from?

- With a fixed salary. That's the way it is in my agency. We pay 20 thousand rubles. This is a motivation system. Little money - purely for the phone and travel. The rest is buried in percentage, footballers. If you want to make money, work with good football players. Then everything depends on the person. More serious clients appear - you already earn from them.

- The client of your agency, Marat Bystrov, receives 140 thousand rubles a month. This is the top 4 level of the FNL. Even if 10 Quicks pay me 10%. These are the same 140 thousand.

- Will you live on them?

- Yes, but it's not much.

- So work on. The agency business is not quick money. You will always have enough to live on due to what you collect from the players. But the main money is the commission from the player's transfer from club to club. Take Oleg Shigaev - he is a young agent, gets good money for his age. But now he will be able to earn much more due to two transfers - Bystrov from Tambov to Kazakhstan. And Komolov from Amkar - there are three proposals on him.

Pavel Komolov

- Does your main income come from commissions or payments from contracts?

- Now the second. Very few transfers take place, agents are paid little. The market is dead due to the crisis. Previously, young people were bought, but now, even in the Premier League, they are transferred as free agents.

- Plus your main client has been at Zenit for a long time.

- Our relationship with Igor is different from everyone else. In terms of finance, they are softer. Very far from 10%. After all, I am his son's godfather, he is my godfather. We are like brothers.

- In the regulations of the RFU on the activities of agents, there is no information on their fees. It is written only about category D - no more than 10% of the salary. Can the rest receive any amount?

- Yes, as you agree. Take at least 20%, at least half. With transfers - the same thing. The commission from the club is not tied to the player's value in any way.

- Recently, the RFPL announced the payment of clubs to agents for 2017. Krasnodar paid 17 thousand rubles. This happens?

- Quite. I don't know the details, but usually the agent's commission is put into the player's money. In lifting. Or they make more salaries. The player knows about it - he gives a part.

- Why not translate it officially?

- Because of the new regulations. According to it, only licensed intermediaries can receive money from clubs. The Pro license costs 10 million rubles, each next year - 3.5 million more. Most agents find it pointless to pay that much. Therefore, they work without a license, and the commission is received through the players.

- What is the point in such rules?

- Market monopolization. One top agent lobbied for this, only the system does not work. The RFU does not have a mechanism to track transactions and punish clubs. They themselves know that almost all the rules are bypassed. Only four people have a license as an intermediary - Pasha Andreev, Yura Zaitsev, Vadik Shpinev and one more person - he was new, got it in winter.

- It turns out that the list of payments to agents is payments to only four people?

- Yes. Even foreigners are not allowed to receive money from a Russian club without accreditation. They have to pay 10 million RFU. Or negotiate with a Russian official intermediary to transfer money to him. And he will still take his interest.

- How is the amount of the commission determined?

- Everything is dictated by the market. If there is a player that only one club needs, it is clear that you will not get anything from him. If only to attach. If there are more than one applicants, you can talk. Here is how you agree with the leadership.

- Makhmudov, transfer to Spartak and more than half a million euros in commission. Is this an adequate deal?

- Within the market.

- For Makhmudov ?!

- At that time, the most talented football player in Russia. He made his bright debut in Saturn at the age of 18. Had a fantastic season. Plus, with this money, we gave Emin a serious part. They could not have given, but they considered it right to do so.

- Now Makhmudov is at Neftchi. Imagine that he becomes an outsider in the Premier League. Your commission?

- Depends on relationships with coaches, managers. I am in charge of Titov and Alenichev's affairs. They will say: "Sanya, we are not paying anything, we need him at Yenisei." I will give it for free, this is some kind of work for the future. If another club, then 50 thousand euros. The maximum is 100.

- 300 thousand - no? Or like "Mordovia", which took off and paid 400?

- Those days are long gone. There is really no money in football now.

- Another case. Smolnikov is taken by Spartak.

- In winter, such a conversation went. Then Igor hung a little at Zenit, Mancini was not satisfied with him. And we considered the option with Krasnodar and Spartak. I asked: "If something goes wrong in St. Petersburg, are you interested in Igor?" In "Spartak" they answered: "Come on, come to us, we will think."

- Now Zenit needs him, but, for example, Spartak wants him very much too. Ask for a commission of a million?

- There is no adequate assessment. If we know from the inside that they do not count on Yeshchenko, Andriy surrendered abruptly, the position is bare, then we can ask for a million, given that Spartak is a rich club. But if Yeshchenko is in order, and Smolnikov is taken into the competition, then you go too far - Spartak will refuse. This will harm the player.

Igor could have already moved to Spartak, but long after after Torpedo. Then five offers came - Moscow, Saturn, Lokomotiv, CSKA and Spartak. But he was very fond of Loko, a pupil. He said that he wants to return to his native club.

Are the agents really sawing?

- “Sash, we need a defender from Africa. Bring some negra. We have 400 thousand for this, we will share 200 with you. " How often are such offers received?

- Now there is no such thing. Absolutely not.

- Dynamo bought Rausch that way. He came for 1.5 million euros, an additional 1.25 million left the club, transferred to a company registered at the address of the general director.

- Let's see it differently. Rausch plays for Cologne, he has offers from the conditional Hannover and Dynamo. Dynamo says to the agent: “I will pay you a good commission, and the player’s salary will be higher. Give it to us. " The agent explains everything to the player. He replies: "Yes, I am no longer young, I will go to Russia." The agent comes to the club: "Let's include my commission in the lifting?" - "No, we can't do that." Or the footballer himself says: "I don't want to touch this money, you'd better get it yourself somehow." How do I get them? A company is registered, a fee is paid to the RFU for a license, a contract is concluded, Dynamo transfers the money. The fact that the office is registered at the address of the general director is not a crime.

- That is, it is not a fact that the CEO was rolled back?

- I don’t know .. Became the fourth accredited intermediary in the country.

- Another transfer to Dynamo - Tette from Lech. There were strange technical requirements: height - not less than 173 centimeters, age - 25-29 years. Are players really looking for such parameters?

- As such, there is no terms of reference. Everything is simpler. I am the head of the club, you are the agent. I say: "We need a left-back" - "Which one?" - “We don't want midgets to be at least 170 in height. Fast, with a good left "-" Okay. " And you start offering options. Someone interested me. You are bargaining: “I want a million for him” - “What? I can give 100 "-" 500 "-" No, 200 "-" 300 "-" Hand in hand. " After the transaction, I draw up an act of completion. I have to write something in it. Therefore, I am writing that the club has received an application for a player with such and such parameters and playing conditions.

- In short, now there is no corruption among agents?

- Yes, and I don’t know why I existed before.

- How for what? There is budget money in some Amkar. In the impudent one, I cannot bring them out, I use an agent for this, whom I will pay, and he will roll back.

- It is no longer possible to pay agents out of budget money. Only from extra-budgetary - sponsored. They can be disposed of as you want. But often the clubs don't have them.

- Okay, I don't pay directly to the agent, but I put his commission and rollback into the player's lifting.

- You are a talented swindler.

- Why don't they use it?

- A lot of people are beginning to know. If the agent and the manager agreed, then they hushed it up immediately. And a football player can shake things up. There is already criminal responsibility.

- In Russia, it often does not occur. They know a lot about what, but no one was imprisoned.

- Previously, they also said that the organization of an organized criminal group was an unprovable article. Only a few people are already seated.

- Because you need to. Agents are not needed.

- Bye. People don't want to take risks.

- Let's do it again. Have you been offered to participate in a corruption scheme?

- (Smiling - site).

- It was?

- I will not say.

How agents negotiate

- Once you worked as the sports director of Arsenal for a year.

- It was very difficult. There was no understanding with the leadership. This is not work, but existence.

- What if the transfer budget is zero?

- Invite free agents. Plus, they did not pay a commission, but they could give a slightly higher salary. When I first arrived, there was a summer window. Alenichev gave a list of eight candidates. Six of them crossed. Only Grisha Chirkin was not taken - Anji put him more money. And Abazov - he went to "Rostov".

Did a good job in the winter. I flew to Samara to Jan Mucha. Convinced to go to lower wages. He went over and delivered a masterpiece ending to the season. I flew to Khagush in BATE. But with Bechirai, it almost did not work out. Fatos has ended a contract in China for $ 500,000 a year. I flew to Vienna, where his Montenegro played with Austria. Maryana Kaschelan introduced me to him, we held negotiations. He named the conditions. They turned out to be acceptable - three players received that kind of money at Arsenal. We could easily pay. But the agent asked for 50 thousand euros. The management thought for a long time whether to pay them or not. In the end, he refused. Bechirai moved to Dynamo Minsk, then ended up in Moscow.

- How much did you get at Arsenal?

- How?

- We agreed that due to cost savings I work without a salary. If we sell someone, 20% of the amount goes to me.

- In "Ufa" there is no selection service. But I heard that the club doesn't need scouts at all. Transfers are done differently. For example, Carrera wants a right-back, is picking up Trabucchi. Marco looks out of his own or calls the agents he knows in different countries and asks for a defender from them. And no scouts. Does everyone work like that?

- Depends on the club. In "Spartak" - as you said. This is not the case at CSKA. There, a football player is really a candidate for the scout service. Scouts and agents work in Krasnodar - and rightly so.

Ideally, it happens like this. For example, the Eurosport team knows that Manyakov knows everything. Says: "We need a player." At this time, the scouts are also looking for him .. I called: "Listen, Sanya Golovin is a good defender, let him come to you" - "Why him?" - "He's ready to cross." Eurosport goes to the scouts. They propose their candidacy or say: "Oh, Golovin - super!". And they enter into negotiations.

You have to understand that it is unrealistic to embrace everything with a scout service. I am Zhenya Chernov's agent. Let's say I find out that his position at Zenit has faltered. Malafeev calls me and says: "Sash, we are parting." I immediately turn on and start offering it to the leaders of other clubs. They let their people down the candidacy, make a decision and give an answer. It's a few days. At the same time, the scouting service of the conditional London "Arsenal" does not know about this. Because only the agent is aware of the player's situation in the club.

- Why does Spartak buy more often through agents?

- A question for them. So it's so convenient. Although they also have scouts. And they offer good candidates. Jamaican Leon Bailey is now playing for Bayer. They want to buy it in England. And when he was still playing in Belgium, he was led by Spartak. Could become the second Promes. They didn't take it, but the person will soon be in the top club. And there are many such examples. Scouts recommend to clubs - they refuse, and the footballer then becomes a top player. But there are also opposite cases. The agent brought a guy from a good championship, but he was not.

- CSKA doesn't communicate with agents at all?

- Well, no, there is a relationship. I have contact with the head of the breeding service, Maxim Dyukov. I called: "Who is needed?" - "Only a Russian and a young man." I give the alignment. After all, Maxim cannot call Zenit directly and ask: “What about Chernov?”. Because he will be answered: "You know, nothing." And through me the information can be really learned.

- Do they call you more often or do you offer clients?

- We used to. Now there is a two-way traffic. But if my player is looking for a team, then of course I call.

- What is the most difficult thing in negotiations?

- Agree on a commission. Transitions because of this have not yet been disrupted. But Galitsky once personally called: "Sanya, I won't give you anything." He was hooked that I was demanding something. As a result, I did not pay, but such a job.

Sergey Nikolaich is simple in terms of communication. I've constantly offered Makhmudov to Krasnodar when he played in Spartak. Once I was driving by car, Khashig called: "Well, what about your Emin?" - "I'm waiting for a call from you." He starts a conference call with Galitsky: “Sash, hello? Tell me your opinion. " I begin to argue. "Got it, I heard you, I'll call you back." Emin turned out to be uninteresting, but the point is that Galitsky immediately turns on. He could tell Khashig: "Vadim, talk yourself." And then I personally talked. Fedun and Giner would hardly have talked to the agent.

- You mentioned Chernov several times. Is he a talent?

- In winter, Spartak and Krasnodar were interested in him. Themselves asked: "State the conditions on which you can go." But Zhenya decided to stay at Tosno until the summer.

Do agents help football players

- The most frequent request of clients?

- To borrow money. Once I gave a guy two million rubles for a car. His salary was 900 thousand, but he wanted for four million. I saved up two, borrowed two. And I bought an X6.

- Are the footballers turned on wheelbarrows?

- Now it is less. Before, different stories happened. Karpin told me one. He is the coach of Spartak, the end of the season, all the midfielders break down. Understudies trained with the base, he put them. One guy had a ladder in his contract. Receives five thousand dollars, plays five matches - it comes to 10, then 12, 15, 20. He comes up: "Valery Georgich, I need to raise my salary" - "You already have 12, how much more?" - “I’m not enough” - “A second. Where do you live?" - "At the base" - "Do you have a wife?" - "No" - "Children?" - "No" - "Do you need 12 thousand dollars?" - "Yes. I took a new car for myself. " Then the same footballer played in another team and rode a car for 40 thousand dollars. At the same time, he did not have an apartment.

- The most unusual request?

- "Buy snus, because we do not sell." I brought it. The client's desire is the law.

- And if the coke?

- No. This is taboo.

- Did you ask the prostitutes for a ride?

- Not once. Now the generation of players is more professional. Previously, the whole team could get into the club. Now one by one, so no one will notice. Although there are still those who receive a salary and skip it with friends. Plays in a regional club, he is a pupil of the Moscow academy. The tour ends, goes to Moscow for the weekend - restaurants, girlfriends. Two days later he comes back - no half a million. This is the Premier League level.

- About the heifers. I heard that among the players there is a list of girls from show business who can be removed for money.

- There is such a thing, I was told. I didn’t see the names, but one footballer said: “Can you imagine? It even happens. " You pay money and you can bring some girl from the TV.

- A player with great potential who hasn't been revealed because of the partying?

- Misha Svetozarov played in Loko -88 - he is extremely gifted (for the last three seasons he has been playing for Okean from Kerch in the Crimean Championship - site) .. But at a young age, cigarettes and girlfriends went. One guy always stuck with AUE. Young, played in the Moscow region in the PFL. About two years ago, he stabbed a man in a fight and sat down.

There are a lot of those who got burned on slot machines. Recently we met with Arsen Minasov, he told the story of the player. When Arsen signed him, he was a talent. Just top. His "Spartak" for a double bought from another team. He paid money for the young! He played in the youth team, then it got worse and worse. Arsen took him away from Russia - to one country, to another. In the end I finished. Now he is calling Minasov: "Give me money." Sits tightly on the rates.

Another client is mine. Showed hope, was a member of the 1995 national team. But the career did not go, because f ##### o. I gave up football, lived in Yekaterinburg, went to the post office. It turns out that the cops are slowing down. They opened the package - there is cocaine. Now under investigation as a distributor.

- Have you encountered wild hobbies?

- This is Denis Boyarintsev. Without scuba gear, he dives under water and hunts there. Vadik Yevseev always hounded him: "Why, will you see a puddle, dive in and fumble there?" Although there is no laughing matter - it is dangerous, there are many deaths. Oxygen is running out, but if you get caught on something? Panic begins immediately.

- A super-readable footballer?

- Igor Smolnikov. I learned English on my own, studied with a tutor on Skype. Speaks fluently. I went to London for an operation, talked with doctors, knows all the terms. And he taught for himself, although there was an idea to leave for Europe.

Zhenya Bashkirov is something. Theater, cinema, books, music. Once we sat, for three hours everyone chatted about it. I talked about the St. Petersburg theater, where the performances go on for 6-7 hours. People eat during the performance. Once I was sick, I watched films. He writes: "Survivor" with DiCaprio is a must-see "-" Zhenya, I already looked. " She periodically writes books: "Read this, this." Moreover, he advises unknown authors. Curzio Malaparte. Romain Gary.

Evgeny Bashkirov

- Do clients talk about agreements?

- We are not discussing. Taboo for me. I am not involved in this.

- Your client goalkeeper Skornyakov Chugainov accused of surrendering the match.

- I know Lech and his family very well. This is an accident.

- Two goals through hands - a case?

- He is incapable of that.

- Why did you take him to Arsenal after that?

- Not me. Then two goalkeepers came to watch - he and Revyakin. Sasha Filimonov is close friends with Revyakin's agents. But I looked through both and chose Lech.

- Are you threatened because of your work?

- It happens. Former clients call, with whom they have not parted very well: "I have friends, they will dial you." The last case - a guy called: “I was told to move to another club, but without you. I made a decision, I'm moving on, thanks. " We promised him a part from the agency when he was just joining the current team. And they decided not to give it back. If betrayed, then why? He is like this: “Here, they will come to you, you will have an affair” - “Only you warn people, we also have complaints against you. And tell me how you did it. " As a result, no one came.

Football players always have a choice. I tell them: “If you don’t want to work with me, tell me in the face. We will meet with your future agent, we will discuss everything. Do not just throw it, it embitters. " Here's how now in one club they say: "Either you leave the agent, or you will not play with us" - "I tear it apart, I want it with you." The player calls and tells us about it. I answer: "We did not receive a penny from you, but we rendered services for a certain amount."

- Does the crime revolve around the agents?

- Yes, until now. Each agent belongs to some kind of community of people.

- Who are you?

- I do not want to talk about it.

- But there are people above you?

- Not above us. There are just people - my friends who help in this business.

- Are they covering?

- You can't say that. The roof is when you are doing tea, I come and say: "Pay" - "Fuck you." And your car caught fire or was towed somewhere in the entrance. You write to the police - they can't find me. Here you understand that it is better to pay. Because then I will disassociate you from others like you. But now there is no such thing.

- What is there?

- I am 42 years old, I grew up on the outskirts of Mytishchi. You yourself understand - I have friends from childhood. I can come to them and tell them about the moments that I myself am not able to solve. But these are friends. I don't bash them.

- How does the agent live if there are no friends?

- Floundering at the bottom - the second league, the first. It's hard to get big money. Football players will be squeezed because there is no mechanism to keep them. Of ten, five will remain. When there are friends, there will be seven left.

- How can friends influence a football player to stay?

- So they can.

- Talk?

- Yes. But usually I talk myself.

- The last moment when you used your connections?

- Recently. One Premier League club said to a player: "Either you terminate your contract with an agent, or you leave." They wanted everyone in the team to become controlled by them. We met with the head, the conversation turned out to be constructive. We heard each other, he understood who I was friends with. I hope this does not happen again.

Carrera, Alenichev

- Who is the best agent in Russia?

- German Tkachenko and Oleg Artemov's group. Oleg is the main person, but there are still people behind him. Both have strong connections in the management of the clubs. They also communicate at the federal level - with people from the government, governors. Herman also speaks very interestingly. Not just: "Look at the football player."

- Tell us about Behemoth (Timur Gurtskaya - site). He is considered a shadow agent who influences all of Russian football.

- Timur? Well, it doesn't affect everything. This is an exaggeration ..

- They say he gets a percentage of most deals in the Premier League.

- Unlikely. Receives only from those who apply to him. Basically it is "Spartak". I don't know the essence of his business, but he has been in football for a long time. Appeared before me. The former basketball player himself. A fairly intelligent person, acts as a consultant. There are no footballers of his own, but he doesn't need it.

- How is a consultant?

- Communicates, learns information, can present it differently than they are used to in the club. He knows more because he is inside the system. Plus, he is trusted in the same Spartak. His expert opinion on players, situations, finances is appreciated there. There is nothing wrong. Alenichev consults with me. And with him - "Spartak".

- He participated in the transfer of Melgarejo from Kuban. Why do you need a consultant in this case?

- Suppose "Spartak" says: "Find out everything according to Melgarejo, what is possible and not." The club itself will never know what real offer is on the side. And Timur breaks through his channels. For example, he calls me: "Sanya, is it true that these are interested in Melgarejo?" - "Nonsense". And so with several people. Then he delivers the information: "He does not go there, he goes there, they give such and such money." Then he meets with the player - the club has no right if the person has contact. And enters into negotiations.

- Trabucchi and Spartak - is it a normal story that the club buys all people through a friend of the head coach?

- Absolutely normal, if it suits the shareholders. There is such a thing abroad. An example is Guardiola's brother. The rules of the game are discussed - who and how much has it, and the work begins.

- Does Carrera have it?

- Unlikely. He has a good contract, he values ​​his name.

- Herkus says that the normal system is when the club itself buys the players, and the coach works with them.

- It is not normal. Each footballer must agree with the coach. There are five candidates, the trainer chooses from them.

- The system works. Semin did not want Farfan, and he became the best player.

- Let's watch the second season and draw conclusions. He helped on the short run.

- Smolnikov's salary - 2.2 million euros. This is fine?

- No comments.

- How much would he be given in Europe?

- There were proposals from the Premier League. Not specific, but Leicester considered Igor before the championship. We talked about Sunderland. And the salaries there, even among the outsiders, are comparable to Zenit. But then we decided that there was no point in going over. Changing the Champions League anthem and the fight for the championship for some kind of backwater?

- To a full stadium in all matches. Constant games with Manchester United, Chelsea.

- At that time, there was a high probability that a large club could be interested in him. On the one hand, it happened even if he played in England. On the other hand, we relied on two European campaigns - the Champions League and Euro 2016. But in the first case, Igor broke down in December. In the second - I did not play very well.

- But mostly people don't want to leave?

- They do. And we are ready to go down. Makhmudov did so. In "Wings" he received more than 15 thousand euros, in "Boavista" he went to four. I really wanted to play in Europe. But there was a hassle with a visa for a wife, a child. In the club he was thrown, no one was studying. It's just that Europe is not always better than Russia. The same Portuguese championship is weaker than the Premier League. There are only four teams, the rest are not right.

- Will Golovin leave?

- Work on this is underway. Oleg Artemov is engaged. And the guide to Europe, I think, is Oleg Yarovinsky. He is well known there, he worked for a long time with a Czech agency - Viktor Kolář. I called Artyomov on the phone at the beginning of May. He named the countries: England, Italy, Germany. There is a real interest from there - they were called directly from these countries. Plus, it is convenient that the player himself does not lose anything when moving. I don’t think that at CSKA he has such a salary that will not be given there. Therefore, the probability of a deal this summer is 75 percent.

- You are an agent of Titov and Alenichev.

- I am a person who helps them.

- Alenichev completely discredited himself in Spartak.

- Complete nonsense. I believe that the team leaders did not trust him and did not support him. He did a great job. Selection is not only a set, it is also a separation. He cleared Spartak. Those footballers who appeared under him are real leaders. Three players were chosen for the position of the defensive player - Diarra, the Brazilian himself and someone else. They took Fernando, Alenichev took it. And he became a leader. It is just important that all systems interact in the club. This was not the case at Arsenal, so we were eliminated. Spartak is the same.

- Alenichev and Titov were drinking at the training camp of "Spartak" and the doddies went to training.

- They can drink beer, but drunk to go to training - no. This is 100%.

Photo: instagram.com/manyakov_av (1-5,8,11,12,14,16,19); fc-zenit.ru; RIA Novosti / Alexey Filippov, Vitaly Belousov;

How to become a football agent? About this in his master class for students of specialization " The RMA was told by the licensed FIFA agent Shandor Varga.

Sandor Varga's autograph is unique in its way. S is an uppercase letter from a first name, and V is an uppercase letter from a surname. The second is superimposed on the first. And it turns out to be something that looks a lot like the American dollar icon. “What am I,” Shandor laughs happily, “am I to blame? They just call me that! " All his life, and at the same time professional credo, can be reduced to one phrase: "It's very nice to be important, but more important to be nice" ("It's very good to be important, but it's much more important to be good"). During the three hours that he spoke with the Management in Team Sports students who came to hear about how to become a sports manager, FIFA licensed agent Shandor Varga repeated the phrase ten times. And, as if fearing that its meaning would not be fully understood by the audience, he explained: “Money is not the main thing. You have to be a man, a man! It is also profitable ”. The listeners, in turn, did not skimp on questions. Answering which, Shandor said a lot of interesting things. Too much from his own point of view.

Reference: Sandor Varga. Born in Soviet Transcarpathia in 1956. He played in amateur teams. Graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physical Education. Until 1984 he worked in the football department of the USSR. Then - in the Hungarian Football Federation. He was the assistant coach of the national team of this country, the second coach of the Al - Ittihad club (Saudi Arabia). Received a FIFA license to carry out agency activities in 1996. Varga's first official deal is the transfer of Yuri Kalitvintsev from Dynamo Kiev to Turkey's Trabzonspor. But ten years before that, he participated in organizing the transfer of Sergei Aleinikov from Dinamo Minsk to Juventus Turin, which was then headed by Dino Zoff. Varga has worked and is working with such footballers as Hristo Stoichkov, Andrey Kanchelskis, Oleg Luzhny (transfer Dynamo (Kiev) - Arsenal (London) and Sergey Rebrov (Dynamo (Kiev) - Tottenham Hotspur (London)). His clients include eight members of the Ukrainian national team that played at the last World Cup in Germany, and in Russia, Shandor Varga represents Branislav Krunich and Petr Bystrov, who in the current offseason with his help found jobs at the Moscow football club.

Sandor Varga on the dangers of verbosity: “Being a good football agent is like being a good football referee. The less it is noticeable during the game, the less people talk about it after the match, the better. So the job was done well. Therefore, I rarely talk to journalists. And my today's speech in front of you can also be considered as an exception to my usual rules. "

Sandor Varga on how to become a sports agent and how it is beneficial to “be good”: “Let me give you an example. Everyone has heard the scandal surrounding the negotiations on Ashley Cole's transfer from Arsenal to Chelsea, which the player himself and his agent Jonathan Barnett led with Jose Mourinho behind the back of Arsenal management. For most Englishmen, the very fact of such non-gentlemanly behavior is deeply outrageous. But few people know what exactly Mourinho, Cole and Barnett got burned on. And in general they got burned on a trifle. On the fact that when the waiter of the cafe in which they talked, decided to ask Mourinho about the order, he dismissively dismissed him. Like: "Come on - let's get out of here." The waiter was offended and soon told the newspapermen that he had seen these three together, despite the fact that they themselves denied everything to the last. It ended badly: Barnett, who organized this meeting, was deprived of his license for a year and fined 100 thousand pounds, many Arsenal stars, including Henry, now treat Cole with undisguised contempt. And after this incident, colleagues did not think better of Mourinho. And all this happened only because he was rude to the waiter! If Mourinho had been smarter and better mannered, this would not have happened. By the way, in this connection I recall another episode with the participation of Arsene Wenger. Once I brought a 17 - year - old Hungarian boy to Arsenal to watch. That club did not fit. And now the last day in London, we will soon be leaving, and we - me, this guy and Wenger are also sitting in some cafe. And Arsen, rising from the table, asks him: "Can I bring you tea or coffee?" He, the great coach - him, the boy he does not need, whom he only saw yesterday and will probably never see again! This is why Wenger is who he is. And that is why Mourinho, for all his achievements in England, is not very much loved and respected "

Sandor Varga about money: “Unlike other agents, I have never sought to formally reflect in the contract the amount of my remuneration for the work done. Many of my colleagues charge an average of 10 percent of the transaction amount for their services. It's enough for me that the players I work with trust me. When it comes to remuneration, I just say to the footballer, "Here's my account number, evaluate my work yourself." In general, I do not like it when they say about me: "He sells football players." I don’t sell anyone, I help people find jobs, and I don’t lose interest in them immediately after the deal is made. And they themselves, and their family and friends know about it, so sometimes it comes to ridiculous. I remember how Sergei Rebrov's wife called me: “I lost my bank card, what should I do?”. And Oleg Luzhny's mother was indignant at how I could let him go - at that time the captain of the Ukrainian national team! - "drinking beer with the boys." I participate in the fate of many of my clients even after they end their playing career. Right now I am helping Andrey Kanchelskis to sign the first coaching contract in his life. On the other hand, it happens that I myself refuse financially beneficial cooperation with very large players. So, for example, it happened with Shevchenko. When he left for Milan, he offered me to become his agent on the condition that I also move to Italy and will only deal with his affairs. But I answered him: “No, Andryusha, I can't do that. Too many people depend on me, and I will not abandon them. " So no, money is not everything. "

Sandor Varga on where to start: “I often hear questions: how to become a sports agent? Or: how to become a sports manager? So, if you do decide to become an agent, I advise you to start small. You do not need to immediately put all the means at your disposal at stake and try to take some star under your tutelage: the chance of burnout is too great. In general, in no case should you spend more than you earn. So if, relatively speaking, you have the money to buy a tram ticket to the nearest school with an amateur football section, then go there and try to find some talented teenager. By placing him in a football boarding school at a professional club, you will earn a train ticket to the neighboring city. Etc. In general, I want to say that gradualness and progression are important at the start in our business. Some more details: the agent must be fluent in foreign languages: personally, I know Russian, English and Hungarian approximately equally well. He must think quickly and make decisions. Finally, the agent must be able to plan his actions: every day I make a list of 100 to 120 cases, ranking them according to their importance. I cross out what I have done. It mobilizes well, allows you not to lose sight of anything more or less significant. "

Sandor Varga on agency risks: “For amateurs, the life of a football agent seems extremely easy and almost idle - millions of contracts, meetings in luxurious restaurants and VIP boxes of stadiums ... However, this is a misconception. To begin with, none of the football agents have a fixed salary. For example, while transferring Oleg Luzhny to Arsenal, I spent 50 thousand dollars of my own money - on flights, hotel accommodation, arranging lunches and dinners, telephone calls. Now think: who would have reimbursed me these costs if the transition did not take place? Second: sometimes the work of a football agent is dangerous in the most direct, physical sense of the word. Once I had the opportunity to negotiate the employment of my player with the head of a well-known Russian club. When he realized that neither I nor my client was ready to subscribe to the conditions he offered, he casually asked if I knew Yuri Tishkov, and if I remember how Yura ended his life? Then, however, this man assured me that he was joking, but at that moment I was not in the mood for jokes. Another time, in Nigeria, where I was on a business trip, I found a notice on the wall of the hotel stating that staying in it was life-threatening. I was warned that after placing an order in my room and waiting for it to be completed, I must look through the peephole to make sure that the hotel employees, and not the armed bandits, came to me. I remember being struck by the VIP box at the football stadium of this Nigerian city. The smoke from the “dope” was such that even hang an ax: everyone smoked drugs, starting with the president of the local club.

Sandor Varga on his best deals: “The best deal from a financial point of view is the transfer of Hristo Stoichkov from Barcelona to the Saudi club Al - Nasser. This was in 1998. Louis van Gaal had come to Barcelona shortly before, and their relationship with Christo had gone wrong. Al - Nasser at that moment was in need of a hammer-in striker to participate in the Asian Champions League final. I promised the Saudis to find one and turned to Van Gaal with a proposal to rent Stoichkov from Barcelona for a week. Louis replied: "Sandor, if you take him forever, I will thank you." In general, in a week Hristo played in two final matches, scored a goal, earned 300 thousand dollars, and in addition a Rolls - Royce from one of the local sheikhs. I also remember with pleasure the transfer of Oleg Luzhny from Dynamo Kiev to Arsenal London. Still, at the moment when this deal was concluded, Oleg was already an age player, he was 32 years old. At the same time, he played four full-fledged seasons for Arsenal, and although, of course, he was not a superstar in the team, the fans adored him: in England they are very fond of such inconspicuous but trouble-free workers who perform their work without extra pomp. I remember when Oleg had already left Arsenal for Wolverhampton and as part of his new team came to London to play against the former team, the Gunners fans at Highbury greeted him even more enthusiastically than their Henry ... And, of course, I was very pleased to work with the transfer of Sergei Rebrov from Dynamo to Tottenham. I can even say that in this transition I played the most decisive role. The fact is that the people of Kiev wanted to receive 12 million pounds for Sergey, and the owner of Tottenham Alan Sugar did not want to pay more than 10 million. It seemed that the negotiations held in London would end in collapse and the abandonment of the deal. I see Rebrov is almost crying: "Damn, come back to this Kiev again!" And then at some point I came across a photograph of Serezha, an image from the back, and on the back - number 11. Then it dawned on me: “Here,” I say to Sugar, “the amount of the transaction. 11 million. This is destiny". And you know, oddly enough, such an argument had an effect on him. He waved his hand. “Okay,” he says, “eleven, so eleven.” So Rebrov ended up in Tottenham. "

Sandor Varga on the role of an agent in the life of a football player: “Recently, a reputable football magazine conducted a survey among the world's leading players on the topic:“ The most important person for you ”. There were many answers, including: "wife", "president of the club", "coach", "first coach". And the "agent" won. Because a footballer can change his team, divorce his wife, but players rarely change agents.
An agent is already forever "

Sergey FALKOV

FOOTBALL AGENT MUST RECEIVE COMMISSIONS LAST

Sergey Falkov is one of the few football agents in Russia who had a FIFA license (today, a national license is enough to conduct business). The activities of these people have always had a tinge of mystery, since they are associated with large, and often very large money. Having recently visited “SE”, Falkov spoke about the difficult everyday life of someone who is looking for clubs for players, and for clubs - players.

FIRST LOVE DOESN'T PASS

- Is it interesting to be a football agent?

Of course. The football agent is faced with the problems of people with an original state of mind. Here's an example. Once, during negotiations with one of the major league clubs, I jokingly said that the condition for breaking the contract could be the marriage of a football player. Four out of five people present took these words seriously. Among them was the player himself.

In general, at first it was necessary to introduce a lot of conditions into the contracts, since each party feared that it would be deceived. This happens in any area of ​​business when a new person comes without a recommendation. We looked closely at each other. But in two years not a single player of mine left the club with a scandal.

- How do you become a football agent?

In 1982 I graduated from the Institute of Physical Education, my first education was in football. Then he received another economic and diplomatic education, took up banking and insurance business, but first love, as you know, does not pass. As a result, he founded a sports agency. I consider football to be a promising object for the development of a related business. There are good examples of Wings and CSKA, where football and business are organically intertwined. For example, for commodity companies, the success of the club they finance is like a visiting card that plays an important role in the image plan.

- What needs to be done to obtain a FIFA agent license?

Previously, it was necessary to pass an interview at the RFU, get recommendations from him, provide guarantees of a Swiss bank for 200 thousand Swiss francs and pass an exam. It included thirty questions, each of which was given four options of answers, from which one had to choose the correct one. Now the exam is being taken at the national federation, and the amount of guarantees has been halved.

- What kind of questions were there?

Basically, according to the FIFA regulations, which even the people who wrote it are unlikely to fully understand. There were many practical tasks. It seems like this: the player has a contract with the club, the conditions of which are not met. He received an offer from another team. What should be the compensation amount? 25 questions were on international topics and 5 on Russian legislation.

- Is there a limit on the licenses issued?

No. The main thing is to correctly answer 25 - 26 questions out of 30.

- How many points did you score?

Thirty.

Who cares about a player's haircut?

- The license is half the battle. We also need to find clients.

CSKA player Alexander Grishin was the first to come out on me three years ago. I just got a license and did not receive dividends from that business. Managed to agree on the transfer of Grishin to the “Torch”, with which he entered the Major League a year later. Everyone was satisfied, and after a while they began to turn to me with various requests. I quickly realized that it was impossible to work with a large number of people. Practice confirms this. For example, in the NHL it is considered abnormal if an agent has more than seven clients.

- And if you work not alone, but within the agency?

We have the first such agency in Russia. We take the player for full service, starting with visa support when traveling abroad and ending with assistance in purchasing an apartment. At the same time, we make certain discounts. The agency rings two or three calls a day, including from coaches, with one-time requests. Like a good office. Recently, a footballer approached, who was interested in which bank it is better to place his funds.

- If he decided not to store them under the mattress, this speaks of a new level of thinking for our players.

This is true. The business qualities of the players are changing for the better. Now they have a good idea of ​​what they want out of life.

- How many clients does your agency have?

I personally work with Dynamo Berezovsky, Mitsuika from Zenit and Spartak Mizhigurskis. With two more players of the Russian national team, contracts are at the stage of signing. In general, 85 football players contacted the agency, which employs nine people, including a lawyer and a specialist in financial problems. Some of them offer to conduct their business, but we are not yet ready for this. After all, you have to be in constant contact with the head coach, the president of the club, decide, for example, whether a footballer has a haircut or not.

- Do wives have a big impact on our players?

Huge. I remember two years ago I was engaged in the transfer of Filimonov to “Perugia”, which was lost due to the fact that the Italian club was knocked out of the top division. All the goalkeeper's affairs were handled by his wife, a lawyer by training. As far as I understand, Alexander does not commit serious acts without the consent of her. My wives and I know how to find contact, talking, for example, about discounts in stores (laughter in the audience). By the way, now the Spartak leadership is often criticized, but in the case of Filimonov, I can say that the technical director of the red-and-white Shikunov worked very competently.

IT'S HARDER TO WORK WITH YOUNG STARS

- The first experience of agency activity did not enrich you, but in general it is a profitable business?

- Risky?

There is an element of risk, but I reduce it by transferring all agreements to paper. To avoid any troubles, you must personally see the contract, otherwise the transfer amount may unexpectedly increase several times. Otherwise, there is a danger of exposing yourself by naming this amount to the president of the club acquiring the player. Nobody cares how I got the information, it is important that it is accurate.

- Who is more difficult to work with - an already established footballer or a young talent?

Much depends on the upbringing, but in general it's easier for me to work with experienced players. Young stars evaluate themselves inadequately. It is enough for them to play one match successfully, score the ball and get high marks in “SE” in order to imagine themselves as someone. Once one player was mentioned among the candidates for the national team, because the next day he played the worst match of the season.

- Is there a division into club agents and players' agents?

Combining is possible, but in each case it is better if you represent one of the parties. I am more often on the side of the players. And clubs often turn for financial advice, since our team employees have low salaries, and, accordingly, the level of training is insufficient.

- Unlike ordinary employees, some players get undeservedly much.

It's hard for me to judge this, since the players are clients, my task is to make them get more. But in negotiations, I understand the president of the club, who already spends huge amounts of money on salaries. It is necessary to find a middle ground.

- What percentage of the deal goes to the agent?

In the West - from two to four percent, in our country - from two to ten: 5 - 10 of the salary, 2 - 4 - with a transfer. If you find an advertising contract for a football player, then you get from ten to twenty-five percent.

- What is the biggest deal you have ever participated in?

Once he helped a foreign agent when a player moved to a French club. Then the amount of one and a half million dollars appeared.

RUSSIA WAITS FOR A DROP IN PRICES

- Recently, European prices for football players have dropped significantly. Has it affected the Russian market?

In football, as in economics, everything is intertwined. In Western Europe, now there really is almost no high-profile transfers, because in Italy, according to my information, only four Serie A clubs have no debts. Russia is lagging behind in this regard, we have not yet felt the recession, but, apparently, soon we will experience difficulties for ourselves. Both club presidents and players need to be prepared for lower transfers and wages.

- Are the clubs living beyond their means?

Income can be generated from the sale of television rights, tickets, players, and the brand. In our country, this will not cover most of the budget. Zenit, CSKA, Spartak and the ambitious new management of Dynamo are trying to make money, but even these clubs are unlikely to have incomes close to their expenses.

- Is it true that Russian players are more expensive than foreigners of the same class?

Usually compared to Eastern Europeans, which really cost less. The situation is aggravated by the fact that many free agents have appeared on the world market - players whose contracts have expired and they have become free.

Coaches periodically call us and say: "Why did you praise player X so much? We wanted to buy him, but now they will demand twice as much from us."

The press really acts as a kind of agent. Can do both advertising and anti-advertising.

“You got your license after the Boseman affair. Have you studied the history of that conflict?

Using this example, I made sure that agreements must be reached at all levels, not to let the genie out of the bottle. Bossman was originally motivated by resentment, which should not have a place. It is necessary to negotiate.

- Maybe Sychev was offended in vain?

Unfortunately, I do not have complete information about this case. Obviously, both sides are losing - both “Spartak” and the footballer. Young players are not ready for harsh statements, perhaps this was the reason for the disagreement. 17-18-year-olds need a certain approach.

Can you imagine the following situation: you worked on a football player's contract, all parties agreed, signed an agreement, and then the player suddenly declares that he does not want to play in the team, and asks for a work record book?

If the club meets all the conditions, then the player must also follow them. The contract implies the responsibility of both parties. In the event of a unilateral termination of the contract by a strong player, such compensation is provided for it, which not every applicant will be able to pay. If the club is going to break, then the terms of the agreement must still be fulfilled. And then we have one footballer filed an application with the FTC that he was not paid a salary. So the next day the president calls him back: "Oh, so ?! Yes, now I won't pay you anything at all!" And he does not understand that there are institutions that will force him to do it. They live the old fashioned way.

- But the thinking of leaders is changing?

Naturally, there is an evolution.

Coaches like to talk about the so-called bugs that interfere with their work, ruin young talents. What is a bug from the point of view of a FIFA agent?

Everyone puts their own meaning in this word. I know a lot of people who do not have an agency license. They form a certain competition, but at the same time, sometimes they turn to me, because they understand that it is easier to solve their problems with the help of an official agent. However, in my opinion, the presence or absence of a license is not of fundamental importance.

- Why?

Because potential clients judge an agent based on what he does.

- But a license is a guarantee of the professionalism of its owner.

In this sense, she is really needed.

EVER INSURED FOOTBALL AND HOCKEY TEAMS

- As far as we know, in addition to football, your sphere of interests also includes hockey.

Our agency received a hockey license just six months ago. So far we serve only one hockey player - Lada forward Frolkin. But next year there will be more clients. Hockey players are also interested in the bureau of good offices.

- Is the hockey license as expensive?

No, much cheaper. Its main difference is that it is issued not for an individual, as in football, but for a legal entity.

- Have you already figured out the hockey transfer system?

Not completely.

- What surprised you about her?

Very modest compensation payments for hockey players. For example, for the transfer of a player who is not a "collection", his new club must pay the old 25 thousand dollars.

- Does your agency insure its clients?

No. Although I have such experience. In 1989 and 1990 I worked for an insurance company. They also insured athletes. In particular, the hockey team before the gold world championship in Bern and the football team, which in the same 90th year participated in the world championship in Italy.

- What were the athletes insured against?

For example, from temporary disability. A fairly flexible insurance policy has been developed. Its main advantage was that the football and hockey federations did not pay a dime. Moreover, I even managed to find an insurance sponsor, thereby freeing our company from financial costs.

- Is the insurance business unprofitable in sports?

It makes it possible to establish contacts with federations in order to attract new clients through them. But we are not interested in this now.

- Is the Sychev case possible in hockey?

No, provided that the club fulfills its contractual obligations to the player.

- You do not care whose business is to conduct - a Russian footballer or a foreign one?

If my client is a foreigner, I definitely involve a lawyer or agent of the country in which he plays with him. Otherwise, without knowing the intricacies of local legislation, you can break wood. Foreign agents do the same when it comes to a footballer from Russia. I sometimes have to act as a consultant.

- From the agent's point of view, in which countries should you look for talent for Russian clubs?

In my opinion, Dynamo Kiev is going the right way, where legionaries from the countries of the former Eastern Europe play mainly. They adapt more easily to our conditions, and it is easier for them to overcome the language barrier than Brazilians and Africans. The example of Robson, who through “Spartak” got to Japan, and then to a club in the top French division, is an exception to the rule. Mostly mediocre legionnaires pass through our clubs.

- Are you skeptical about the prospects of foreigners in the Russian championship?

You can't do without them. This is life. But looking at the youth and national teams of Russia, you are convinced that we have enough talents of our own.

AN ARTIFICIAL FIELD MUST BE AT EVERY CLUB

- How can you characterize the Russian football market?

It is valid for all 12 months. In summer, as expected, its activity reaches its peak. As for the well-being of non-Moscow clubs, it mainly depends on the love of football by the first person of a city or region.

- Do you keep track of the emergence of young players who can earn money?

I have a network of assistants in the regions. They deliver information in a timely manner.

- If you are informed that a nugget has appeared, then do you look at it yourself?

Either myself, or I trust the opinion of qualified coaches headed by Gennady Kostylev.

- Why did you become a sponsor of two clubs of the second division - "Pearls" and "Titan"?

This is not pure sponsorship. We want to see what football is like at this level.

- Why the second division?

First, there are fewer costs. Secondly, good breeding work can be done at this level. There are no problems with a place for training at the Salyut stadium for four years now, a children's sports school has been operating. Now about 200 children are engaged in it.

- Everything is clear with Moscow. But Sochi is very far away.

But it is an ideal city for the development of football and for business. By the end of November, we will lay the first artificial field in Dagomys. There are other projects as well. Why exactly "Pearl"? We were offered to participate in the fate of this club, a club with a rich history. We agreed to revive football in Sochi.

- Do "Pearl" and "Titan" have sports goals?

Any club should aim for first place.

- That is, you can support the team and the first division?

I'm not ready to answer this question yet. The main thing is to understand whether it is necessary for me and my partners now. In addition, the agency is now taking a lot of time.

- Do you take into account the interests of the Sochi fans who remember what the top division is?

Of course, I would like the club to play in the Premier League. But for this it is necessary to create an infrastructure. Today "Zhemchuzhina" is 85 percent staffed by local pupils. The club employs 10 children's coaches and 150 children. By the way, this year all our children's teams took part in at least one tournament. But without changing relations with the authorities, it is extremely difficult for any club to reach a higher level not only for “Pearl”. In this regard, unfortunately, in Sochi we encountered surprising indifference towards the development of both football in general and children's football. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the past years the club was allocated everything necessary, and in a large volume. The main thing was to properly manage the funds. From our point of view, if the former leaders used at least 10 percent of the opportunities provided to them, today “Zhemchuzhina” would be a Premier League club with a developed infrastructure, full self-sufficiency and a developed children's football.

- You said that you are building an artificial field in Dagomys. Does natural grass grow poorly there?

We also thought it was good. But they did not find such places. In addition, on an artificial field, you can train for 8-10 hours a day, and on a natural field - a maximum of 4 hours.

- Is field construction another area of ​​your business?

Yes. We participate in the InterSportStroy company, which makes fields with any surface. Three artificial fields have already been laid - one in Saransk and two in Moscow. We now have about a dozen orders from top and first division clubs. We are proud that we own the first artificial pitch in Russia that received a FIFA certificate - it is located at the Salyut stadium.

- How many synthetic fields should there be in Russia?

Ideally, one for each professional club. I'm not even talking about physical education teams, many of which, especially in Moscow, can afford it.

LEFT FROM DOLGOPUDNY ON THE LAST ELECTRIC

- Which grass is more pleasant for you to play?

In summer - on natural, in winter - on artificial.

- Do you often manage to kick the ball?

For seven years now I have been traveling with my family to the Bor boarding house on weekends, where I play in the company of businessmen I know.

- What is your role?

Any free area of ​​the field. (Laughter in the audience.)

- As an agent, do you travel a lot?

On average, two to three times a month. Moreover, if there is an opportunity to invite a partner to Moscow, I try to use it.

- How many languages ​​do you know?

So far, one is English. I'm going to learn French.

- You have a sports education. Ever seriously considered the idea of ​​becoming a football coach?

No, I was always drawn to other work. After graduating from the Institute of Physical Education, I became the director of the stadium in Dolgoprudny and at the same time participated in the creation of a football team there.

- Was the stadium director a respected person in Dolgoprudny?

I calmly left on the last train, which left, if I am not mistaken, at ten minutes past midnight.

- Do you have a hobby?

Dogs and reading books.

- What is your relationship with other FIFA agents?

We don't communicate closely. But the market is so big that our interests hardly overlap.

- Before opening your agency, did you study someone else's experience?

Yes, Italian and Spanish. In Italy, I got acquainted with the work of the GEA agency - the largest in the country. The main principle is the same everywhere: strict observance of agreements. And also in our world there is such an expression: "If an agent takes commissions last, he is doomed to success."

Contacting your agency of footballers with one-time requests means that many of them do not have their own agents.

Probably, they were at the initial stage, when the player changed the club, and then the cooperation stopped. By the way, not all of our clients advertise their appeals, fearing jealousy from their clubs.

Konstantin ALEKSEEV,
Yuri BUTNEV

About Becoming Agents My son played football. I saw that children after graduation cannot get into teams. I wanted to help, to make it clear that a professional is when football occupies you 24 hours a day. When you understand that you need to go to bed on time, eat what you should, exercise correctly and recuperate. Those who go to agents just for the sake of money usually fail.

Previously, there were no problems with obtaining a license from the RFU for agency activities: he answered questions, like in an exam at the traffic police, and that's it. But for two and a half years, no one received new licenses. Apparently, because RFU President Nikolai Tolstykh considers agents to be the main enemies of football. It all started with a scandal at the agency exam. The applicants answered the questions correctly, but due to the fact that there was an incorrect translation, the answers were not counted. Another president would have supported the guys, and this one took advantage of the situation to declare war on the agents. However, some of my colleagues gave him a reason for this.

Tolstykh is sure that agents are taking money out of football. He is like Lenin: he fights so that there are no rich people. But if agents do not withdraw money, others will do it with great pleasure - those who just support Tolstoy. Unlike agents, they will not spend this money on children's sports schools, on the development of football players. Many of my colleagues do this on a regular basis. Recently, I myself transferred money to the volleyball and football sections in Snezhnoye in the Donbass. I considered it my human duty.

The agent receives a commission of up to 10% from the contract or the amount of the player's transfer. Will you go to court without a lawyer? No. So any self-respecting player will also not go without an agent to sign a contract. In our football clubs, unfortunately, players are cheated every day for money, technical support or some other conditions. Of the clubs I've worked with, only two in the Premier League have ever cheated. And some are simply proud of their dishonesty. For example, "Torpedo" fulfilled only one of our agreements (and initially there were many).

In our football clubs players cheat every day for money, technical support or some other conditions

About personal problems of football players Often I have to solve personal problems of clients that are not related to football. Football players have the same problems as other people. Help someone to choose a restaurant for a wedding, someone to pick up a car from an impound parking lot, court issues, on loans, and so on. This, of course, is not prescribed in contracts with players. The footballer sat in a tavern, gave someone in the face - you need to come and close the conflict. It happens that a football player lives in the house of an agent and the spouse of the latter takes care of the player like his own son. Apart from agents, there are no people in football who are capable of this.

Recently I had to go home to a football player at night and change the light bulbs there (he was not at home). The wife came, saw that there was no light, and was frightened. I had to come and help. It turned out that the bulb stupidly burned out. She just didn't think to look - it happens to everyone.

It is often necessary to help with obtaining a reprieve from the army. There is no special one for football players, so the players go to institutes. But since many of them play in the wrong regions, where they are registered, they do not have enough time to collect documents. You have to do it for them.

On violations of the sports regime Sometimes a football player can smoke a hookah, drink beer, but professionals always know when to stop. They understand that 10 years of career is their chance to make money. They gnaw it with their teeth.

There are those who, because of similar problems, end up with football. Remember, there was a player of the Russian national team Ivan Sayenko? He is still in his "football" age, and already weighs more than 100 kilograms. I decided that rest is more important for him. I respect his choice and do not think that he is worthy of condemnation. In the end, the person played in Germany, won the bronze medals of the European Championship as part of the Russian national team, and then, apparently, burned out: football is a great physical and psychological stress.

Hovhannes Goaryan was potentially able to play in a serious European club. For two years in a row, he scored more for Lokomotiv's doubles than anyone else in the tournament of the reserve teams. But he lacked character, the older comrades could not find the right words - and he broke down. It's not just alcohol or cigarettes. Attitude towards oneself consists in the general professional attitude towards maintaining a sports form.

About the age of footballers Alan Gatagov swore that he had a Bentley. But he did not buy it himself - the car was inherited by his wife, who is much older than Alan. Although how old is Gatagov himself, I do not know. I think his age could have been rewritten - in the southern regions this is the norm. Dzagoev, I believe, is also two or three years older than according to the documents. This is important for starting a career, but at a certain level, no one cares anymore. Dzagoev does not play worse because his age is rewritten. Doumbia, I think, was also rewritten for two years. But he was still sold to a big club from the top championship. Although people in football guess everything.

On Negotiating With Clubs When I try to convince a club that it’s time for my client to raise his salary, I use a sporting argument. For example, I'm talking about the status of a football player in the team, the number of games, the results, the progress of the club with his participation. But negotiations do not always end successfully. Recently I tried to re-sign a footballer's contract, but they told me: "This is just not serious, we are in 13th place." I understood everything, no questions. We will wait for them to rise.

About earnings Now no one plays for little money. Earnings for a football player are more important than career prospects, although they, of course, do not admit it. Look at Santa Barbara with Artyom Dziuba. He turned down invitations from good clubs from the top championships in order to go to Zenit for big money. Such money was not even offered to the captain of the national team, Roman Shirokov. In St. Petersburg, Dziuba will have a guaranteed high income, and in the West he has two options - to become a superstar or an outcast.

At the same time, we have such a level of the championship that European clubs are not too eager to invite Russian footballers. Except for Kokorin and one or two other players, no one matches the level of the top championships. And moving from Spartak to the conditional West Ham is to lose half of your salary. Those who agree to this can be counted on the fingers of the hand.

Why do they get no less in the Russian championship than in the top clubs of the best championships? First, when state corporations came to football, they raised the salary ceiling substantially. Private owners also had to adjust to stay competitive. Secondly, the main way to attract a strong legionnaire to the Russian team is to offer a high salary. Such, which he will not be given in the leading championship. Accordingly, the salaries of other players are also growing, because the gap within one team should not be too large.

I do not agree that our clubs perform poorly in European competitions. Our championship is inferior in level to at least five championships in Europe. Each of them has three or four teams in the Champions League. This is a minimum of 16 clubs that should be higher than ours. Yes, Zenit is inferior to few in terms of budget. But sport is not mechanical engineering. It is not money that comes out on the field.

Russian football is often compared to Soviet football. Then no one said that the players were too hungry. But what did they gain? Not a single Champions Cup, although only the winners were playing there.

Why Russians don't become football stars In this offseason, several young players left to play in Europe at once - it's good. They have outgrown their duplicate lineups and want to progress. They went for football, not money. They want to compare the approach to sports in another country and themselves with young European footballers. This is a good experience. However, the chances that they will turn into big footballers are no greater than if they stayed. Previously, many of our people left for Italy, France, and other countries, but by and large no one made it.

Our boys became European champions in 2006. Why did none of them grow into serious footballers? Debauchery and an inadequate perception of one's own successes intervene here. Agents, clubs, coaches are also to blame: they could not convey to them how to develop a career. Although the same Prudnikov never philonite in training. But, apparently, at some stage I lost confidence, and it means a lot.

We have the wrong training system for young players. The same Denis Cheryshev was invited to the youth team seven or eight years ago. The coach then did not put him in the squad and called him weak, but today he wants to hang medals around his neck for opening it. A young football player must be released on the field, point out to him the mistakes and then put on the game again to see how he corrects these mistakes. And Cheryshev got a verdict in five minutes. It's good that he has the right upbringing. His father is a football player, never interfered with Denis's relations with coaches. Therefore, Denis grew stronger, turned into a man and became one of the leading players of not the weakest Spanish club. Why don't we have such Cheryshevs in Russia? There are many.

Our youth have been corrupted by football schools, academies and by our parents. I was once with a friend at her son's hockey training. When the coach set the goal for a two-way game, all parents immediately rushed from the stands to the board. I ask a friend: “Why are you running there? Do you really understand something in the game? " Parents shouted like crazy, told their sons how to take away, throw, circle around. At such moments, children cease to understand who to listen to - the coach or mom and dad. The same thing happens in football.

The question arises: why did the parents bring their children to hockey? To grow stars out of them, who receive a lot of money. Then they say to me: “I spent 10 years for him to become a football player and to sign a worthy contract, and he is offered such a minuscule ...” They inspire children that football should bring a lot of money. And we must teach them to be athletes.

Another problem is with children's coaches. In Russia, they are geared towards obtaining immediate results by any means. In one of the Champions League finals, Barcelona had nine of its pupils in the first squad. Two more came on as replacements. Here is the real result of the work of a child trainer. It is far from the fact that these children won the Spanish Youth Championship. But no one sprinkled ashes on their heads or kicked them out of school. And we would have been kicked out and told that the players are "weak".

Why did parents bring their children to hockey? To grow stars out of them who get huge money

On the impact of the crisis Clubs will begin to disappear, competition among football players will increase, and some people will be left without work. Agency fees can also fall, although not much. But all this will not lead to the purification of our football. Our football could be helped by a manager with brains who would like to make a product out of it. We have winter for six months, and the stadiums are not heated. It is necessary to invite children from orphanages to the stadiums, because the player simply will not be able to play full legs if the full stadium is roaring. And we just run around and ask for money.

About fixed matches and illegal earnings I think that about 10 percent of matches in the Russian championship are negotiated. This percentage is not growing, but perhaps not falling. Why this is not being investigated, I do not know. I think that the same 10 percent of players, coaches, functionaries are involved in them. There are also coaches who take kickbacks from player transfers. If a coach, when changing teams, constantly carries the same non-outstanding player with him, this is a reason for suspicion. The purest and most honest person is Tolstoy. Although he is schizophrenic, he certainly does not take kickbacks.

The history of "Rostov" is typical not only for our football, but also for the whole country. There are kickbacks in almost all walks of life, and football is no different.

On racism and conflict I do not believe that there are many racists in Russian football. How can footballers be racist if they play on the same team with completely different people? Here Doumbia played in CSKA, brought benefits, did not his partners really like him or the fans did not appreciate his goals? Of course, there is always one eccentric who shouts something, but these are isolated manifestations.

The conflicts within the clubs are not due to racial or other reasons, but simply because of the high tension. As in any team, people get tired of looking at the same face every day. Football players are not emotionless vegetables.