THE BEGINNING
My first experience in sports area took part in 1992, when I got into Pelé Sports & Marketing. Hired as assistant marketing, I had my first personal contact with a football athlete. Nobody less than PELÉ, the best ever.
ADVERTISEMENT DEALS / NATIONAL TEAM - USA‘94
In 1993, having left Pelé Sports, I was invited by Mr. João Henrique Areias (a famous sports consultant and ex-marketing director of “Clube dos 13” and Flamengo’s ex-marketing VP), to support him with some advertisement deals on behalf the Brazilian football players who would be representing the country in the World Cup ‘94.
At that time I got close and personal contacts with those players, facing the opportunity to work directly with Romário, Bebeto and Dunga, even with the head coach, Mr. Carlos Alberto Parreira.
FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT - YOUNG PLAYERS
The success of the last job was important for the creation of the sports marketing agency, Sportlink Marketing Esportivo, in 1995. It was created to provide a whole management service to the soccer athlete. SportLink started managing the young and talent football player careers, as Sávio (ex-Flamengo/BRA, Real Madrid/SPA, Bordeaux/FRA and Zaragoza/SPA), a famous Brazilian forward.
THE NIKE/CBF PERIOD
In 1997 I took part in a select hiring process for a prestigious American sports company. Getting one of the two positions available I started working for NIKE as a sports marketing manager, being located at the recently NIKE/CBF BUSINESS UNIT, in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil.
My task (with my teammates) was to provide apparel support to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and its teams (youths and Professional). Therefore, the main goal was focus on hiring the best young Brazilian talents to be sponsored by the “swoosh” company. In other words, I became a company’s “scout”.
Following the youth Brazilian National teams (U-17 / U-20) I could develop such important job bringing for Nike the best young and talent Brazilian football players. Based on their sports performances and with a close attention also to the off side pitch (disciplinary behaviors), I met and signed sponsorship contracts with most of the main and current worldwide Brazilian football stars.
Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Flamengo/BRA), Adriano (Roma/ITA), Maicon (Internazionale/ITA), Julio Baptista (Málaga/SPAIN) and Juan (Roma/ITA) are some of the names I had the pleasure to be in touch with.
During the five years in Nike, I met and understood (in a very close way) some of the most different Brazilian football player profiles.
How they think and perform. Their family structures and their dreams and strategies to become a successful professional player.
FOOTBALL PLAYERS MANAGEMENT
In 2002 I left Nike’s position and decided to start my own sports agency consultant: FLESP Assessoria Esportiva. Using my sports marketing background and experience since 1992 I became a football player assistant.
Working together in a partnership with his agent, Gilmar Rinaldi (former professional player and FIFA World Champion USA’94), ADRIANO – the international famous Brazilian football player, became the first customer. The job was finalized in November, 2010.
Since then other projects have been developed in the world of football.
New players have arrived the cast and also another partnership has begun. Again a former football player and FIFA U-20 World Champion, Australia’93 – Gelson “Baresi” (a current licensed agent) has joined me to manage some young Brazilian football players’ careers. This time regular players we believe they all have a huge football potential to be developed.
Beside that I’ve also involved myself with other projects in sports marketing area with some football Brazilian clubs such as Fluminense and Botafogo.
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