Trade guide
Football player agent
The business
What exactly does it mean to be a player agent?
Its role
The role of a player agent is to act as a mediator between a club and a sports professional. Strictly regulated by the French Sports Code, this role has taken off thanks to the democratisation of sporting competitions and the development of what is now known as “sports entertainment”, which is widely covered by the mainstream media. The official definition is “a natural or legal person working on an occasional or permanent basis for remuneration”. Endowed with numerous functions and responsibilities related to the sporting environment, the agent’s role covers a large number of complementary areas, some of which are far removed from one another.
Its field of action
On paper, it’s a job that has a lot going for it and is attracting a lot of interest. Working in the upper echelons of sport and the media can be an ideal career, combining passion and business. But those who succeed at a high level are few and far between. Officially, there are 350 professional agents in France. Of this number, a large proportion do not work regularly and a small number live extremely comfortably. In other words, there are huge disparities between agents.
Career development requires a great deal of patience and commitment. At the start of their career, junior agents will look after players with budding careers, and their remuneration will be proportional to their client’s stature. With time, experienced players can also become agents, integrating into the sector with a perfect knowledge and mastery of the data inherent in the profession.
The functions
What training do you need to become a player agent?
The minimum level is a 3-year Bachelor’s degree from a sports management school such as INSEEC.
In addition to this, a general test based on tests of :
general legal knowledge
sports law
technical knowledge of the rules of the discipline in which you want to compete
This licence is offered by a number of schools in France, including EAJF (football player agent school) and WST (Worldwide Sport Training). Of the 500 students who apply each year, only 10% succeed in obtaining the precious sesame. The only exception to the rule is that, since 2011, a change in the law has allowed lawyers to work as sports agents without having to hold a licence. However, they have slightly fewer options than professional players’ agents.
Qualifications
What qualities do you need to be a good sports agent?
To be a sports agent, you need to be proficient in a number of areas.
Although when we think of him we spontaneously think of contract negotiation, he plays several roles in order to fulfil the tasks delegated to him. This job is characterised by a wide variety of functions. Their role as communicators requires them to be good negotiators. Players’ agents need to be proficient in a number of areas:
Sport
Marketing
Taxation
Law
Public relations
Foreign languages
In addition to the rigour required by their responsibilities, sports agents need to be leaders and people-watchers. They must be good teachers and be able to communicate easily, while always maintaining self-control. Their address book and ease of communication are essential assets in helping their client’s career. Of course, over and above the roles they take on, they are also sports fans and must excel perfectly in the discipline in which they wish to practise.
The benefits
How much does a sports agent earn?
Based on the same principle as an actor’s agent, a player’s agent earns around 10% (maximum) commission calculated on a player’s gross remuneration. The proportion may vary according to a number of criteria, including the experience and track record of the two protagonists.
Overall, the range is between a minimum of 3% and 10%. It should be noted that France is the only country to set limits on salaries.
Training courses
Does INSEEC prepare you to be a player agent?
Our training courses
With the democratisation of the media in recent decades, sport has become an extremely flourishing and buoyant market. Synonymous with economic dynamism, with the starification of sportsmen and women, the explosion of television rights and the exponential growth of sports structures, the world of sport is generating many vocations in a wide variety of fields.
INSEEC has not treated this as anecdotal evidence and offers a number of courses related to the field of sport, at the instigation of many professionals. The programmes cover all sectors of activity and offer constant contact with the main players in the field, so as to provide a complete and immersive experience.
INSEEC sport programmes are developed to give candidates a general vision of the sector in order to prepare them for all jobs in the sports market, from Bachelor to Master to Bac +5. There are three main categories covered by the courses:
Students receive specific teaching in each of the three main areas, so that they have the expertise they need for their future jobs. If you would like more information or to apply, click here: Application for a Sports Specialisation at INSEEC.
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