Daniel Geey | The Secrets of Football Business

Giving The Game Away

The coronavirus pandemic provided an opportunity for football’s professionals to take a break from the game, and use the time to express their interests, via Instagram and Twitter, for areas outside of football. Perhaps the best example of this was Hector Bellerin, who, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, has not only become the second-largest shareholder at Forest Green Rovers FC, but has also channelled his creativity with purpose to become the Creative Director of a new Fifa 21 Feature. Hector Bellerin in this sense, is definitely “more than” a footballer, as his newly-launched podcast is so aptly named.

As players like Bellerin become bigger features of the game, it becomes clear just how important image is in modern football and, the ability for clubs to profit off this image, undoubtedly now impacts transfer negotiations. Last summer, for example, Tottenham Hotspur’s attempts to sign Paulo Dybala from Juventus failed due to a complication regarding the image rights of the Argentinian forward. It highlighted the complexity of completing transfers even when the two clubs and the player had reached an agreement, and it is something that many football fans, us included, couldn’t quite get their head around.

To help explain disputes such as this, we have invited on top football lawyer, Daniel Geey, described by Forbes as “one of the most sought-after advisors for players, agents and clubs”, to help break down many of these secrets of business within the boardrooms of the Premier League. Whether it is the shirt sale myth, the strangest clauses he’s ever seen in premier league contracts, breaking down the true reality of a £35m transfer or a club takeover, Daniel has been at the heart of modern football business for years. Daniel offers a fascinating and accessible insight into the world of football negotiations, some happening over Whatsapp late at night, and helps to break down many of football’s myths.