Going into the football management business with the purpose of building a company that creates a PERSONAL BRAND IMAGE for young football players from Africa aspiring to experience European football, I have come to a conclusion that less is known about life as a footballer in Europe by the majority of the young talents from Africa.
Years back as a young boy in Lagos Nigeria who aspires to play football in Europe, I have this belief that I will be successful with any football club I found myself playing for in Europe. This failed woefully when the opportunity arises and from that moment, I knew my perceptions were wrong and I lack basic information and knowledge about playing football in Europe.
News about the big star’s wages and their live styles has overshadowed the mind of many young talents from Africa creating an urgent feeling of success (travelling abroad). Also, the low standard of living has streamlined the thought of these young talents creating in them the feeling that football is their only hope of survival and living their dream life. This single thought of becoming a footballer has caused a lot of these young talents a life that they could have had if they have worked on making a plan B should incase football fail; which in many cases do fail.
To control this situation to a minimum, these young talents should be informed appropriately about life as a footballer in Europe and how difficult it is to break into a European football market that is flooded with experienced players who are without a playing contract and will take a pay cut to join the next football club that is ready to offer a suitable contract.
Agents, managers, sponsors, and whoever should not live on the vulnerability of these young talents by providing them with information that is far from accurate and putting them in a state of years of finding their foot and purpose for their lives in an environment that they don’t know how it works and in most case cannot even communicate.
Among our primary objectives at MAATSPORTS is to provide adequate information to these young talents and encourage them to apply similar efforts they apply to their football career to any other kind of profession that suits them. This will always create a backup plan and confidence in the future.