Wasserman, the US-based sports marketing giant, has bolstered its soccer business by acquiring talent representation business International Football Management (IFM).
Founded in 2003 by former professional footballer, Wolfgang Vöge, IFM has been advising players, clubs and associations for over 20 years.
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IFM is a leading player representation business in Switzerland, with over 40 footballers participating across the major domestic leagues in Europe.
At the recent UEFA Euro 2024 national teams tournament in Germany, IFM had six clients in the Switzerland squad that reached the quarter-final stage, including Manuel Akanji (Manchester City), Michel Aebischer (Bologna), Fabian Rieder (VfB Stuttgart), and Filip Ugrinic (Young Boys).
As part of the acquisition, Vöge and colleagues Franco Moretti, Fabian von Matt, and Jürg von Matt will all join Wasserman as senior vice president of international football.
The team will continue to operate from offices in Winterthur, Switzerland where the company was founded, as well as in Zurich.
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By GlobalDataThe opening of a formal office in Switzerland enhances Wasserman’s presence in the DACH region and the team will work closely with Wasserman colleagues in Germany to “maximize opportunities and strengthen their operations in these key markets.”
Lee Charnley, Wasserman vice president of international operations and global football, said: “Over the past 20 years, the IFM team has built the number one football player agency in Switzerland.
“With Franco and Fabian leading our football operations out of Switzerland moving forwards, we will continue to build on strong foundations, identifying untapped opportunities for our new and expanded roster of elite football talent.”
Vöge added: “Wasserman is a major force in the football talent representation space and this has given us the opportunity to become a global player in the industry.”
IFM’s list of clients will join Wasserman’s existing roster of footballers and coaches, which includes John Stones (Manchester City and England), Nathan Ake (Manchester City and Netherlands), Fede Valverde (Real Madrid and Uruguay), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus and Netherlands), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan and Netherlands), Alessia Russo (England and Arsenal), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars and USA), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Enzo Maresca (Chelsea).
IFM becomes Wasserman's latest acquisition in the European market.
In June, the company acquired Ireland-based athlete management firm Line Up Sports, which followed deals to purchase UK women’s soccer agency Volante Sports in April, the launch of Wasserman Cricket in March (through the rebranding of cricket talent agency Phoenix Management Group), and the acquisition and rebrand of CSM Sport & Entertainment in October 2023 and March 2024, respectively.
