For a few years now, more and more Asian players have been playing in Portugal. Whether they are South Korean, Japanese, Iranian or even Chinese, their presence in the land of fado is for the most part not the result of chance but rather a consequence of negotiations of certain clubs, leagues or even influence. of important figures in Portuguese football. Back to these ever closer links between Portuguese and Asian football.
Portimonense and the Japanese market, a precursor?
If there is one Portuguese club that seems to have been a pioneer in observing and using the Asian market, it is sure to be Portimonense. Since 2016, to overcome salient sporting and economic difficulties, the Portimão club has indeed completely revised its recruitment policy by turning to the far west of the Eurasian continent. This new policy was based on a decisive trio linking Portugal and Japan. The latter is based on a collaboration between three men. Among these, the central personality of this partnership is found in the person of Takeshi Okada. Vice-president of the Japanese Football Federation and former manager of the Japanese national team, he invested in the Portimonense club from the beginning of the 2010s, until becoming a majority shareholder from 2016. By his side in the establishment of a Portuguese-Japanese market, we find Rodiney Sampaio (director of the club's SAD) and Robson Ponte, technical director of the club who passed as a player in Japan with the Urawa Red Diamonds. Since 2016 (which is therefore a pivotal year), these three men have thus put in place a new sporting and economic plan, attracting new Japanese players and investors to Portugal.
In many ways, this project marks a real success for the Algarve-based club. From 2016, an agreement was linked between the club and certain governing bodies of Japanese football. The deal is a win-win deal: Portimonense must send its experienced players first to Japan, while the club have a priority option on some of the best promises of the Japanese leagues. The first exchanges quickly follow. In 2016 Fabricio was loaned to the Kashima Antlers while Renatinho was sent to Vonds Ichihara the following year. In parallel, Shoya Nakajima arrives in Portugal from FC Tokyo in 2017. He is followed by Shuichi Gonda, Koki Anzai and Takuma Nishimura in 2019 then Kosuke Nakamura in the last transfer window. All these arrivals allow the Portuguese club to perform in the league, having now been there for five years, while enjoying an encouraging economic record. While sales from Nakajima, Ewerton and Paulinho, all from the partnership with Japan, show more than 45 million euros in revenue for the 2018-2019 season alone, the club is also attracting new sponsors. This is the case of Mizuno, the club’s Japanese equipment supplier, which enjoys a high popularity rating in Asia.
From left to right: Shoya Nakajima, Rodiney Sampaio and Yuta Koike during the presentation of the two players in 2017.
Despite the good economic and sporting functioning of this partnership, it has been losing ground in recent years. In question, two main factors. On the one hand, Japanese players are increasingly interested in the major European teams, and some of them are now establishing themselves directly in Japan, such as Manchester City through the City Football Group, which now owns the club. of the Yokohama Marinos. Japanese clubs have also changed their brand image, among other things thanks to the passage of former stars of world football such as Podolski, Villa and Iniesta. Japanese clubs are no longer dependent on partnerships with other clubs (such as the one linked with Portimonense) to attract high football hopes, as was the case a few months ago with Lincoln's arrival at Vissel Kobe in from Flamengo. On the other hand, because the Portimão club have themselves decided to broaden their horizons, so as not to limit themselves to the Japanese peninsula. The latest transfer of a Japanese man to Portimonense was also a small local fiasco. On February 6, the club announced the arrival with great fanfare of legendary globetrotter Keisuke Honda. Without being able to enter the league, the player left the Algarve only 5 days later. As the final sign of a faltering love affair between Japan and Portimão.
A Portuguese-Iranian bridge: Carlos Queiroz
When he was appointed manager in 2011, only one Iranian player played in Europe, in Osasuna: Javad Nekunam. In 2018, as Iran prepares to compete for the World Cup in Russia, 18 of the 23 players called up, or nearly 80% of internationals, play in Europe. These statistics tend to show the evolution of the international level in barely 7 years, under the control of his Portuguese coach: Carlos Queiroz. He is a strong figure in Portuguese football, being in particular the main actor in the structuring of the Portuguese coaching school, the Faculdade de motricidade humana, which is located on the outskirts of Lisbon and of which he was a teacher in the 1980s. is from this school from which, among others, José Mourinho came. Through this school, Queiroz's influence on Portuguese football is therefore significant. As a true builder that he is, he will also restructure all the facilities of the selection, which he strongly criticizes when he arrives in Persian lands. So far, no clear link between Iranian players and the Portuguese league yet. Nonetheless, whether it was Iranian structures or Queiroz's influence, these would have a significant impact on Luso-Iranian ties that would follow years later.
In the wake of his Iranian adventure, Carlos Queiroz was accompanied by several other Portuguese technicians. This is first of all the case with Toni. Benfica legend, the Portuguese took charge of the Iranian club Tractor between 2012 and 2015. He noted the good adaptability of Iranian players by highlighting the work carried out upstream by Carlos Queiroz in selection:
“In terms of skills and working ability, Iranian players are very disciplined. These are players who are receptive to the new methods and exercises that are offered to them. Taremi himself stressed that he already knew some of the exercises proposed by Carlos Carvalhal, thanks to what he had learned in selection with Queiroz ". In fact, the former Rio Ave coach himself admitted that Carlos Queiroz had been a great help in the talks for the signing of the Iranian center-forward. Indeed, the Portuguese club did not have the economic power to attract the player who played in Qatar and the influence of the Portuguese manager of Iran was therefore decisive.
Carlos Queiroz and his players at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Another Portuguese technician in the Persian Gulf Pro League, Miguel Teixeira, follows coach Amir Ghalenoei as assistant coach to several Iranian clubs. He even took over Sepahan FC as an interim last summer, before returning to an assistant coach position. In comments given to our media, he echoes Carlos Queiroz’s major influence: “He was of decisive importance in these links. Here first (in Iran), he opened the doors to many Portuguese coaches with his excellent work. This was the case for me and for Paulo Sergio, who now coaches Portimonense. The fruits of his labor are also visible in Portugal. There is the Taremi case of course who has just completed two great seasons in Liga NOS, but there are also players like Mohammadi with Aves, or Amir and Ali Alipour at Maritimo. Unlike a few years ago, all Iranian players have the ambition to play in Europe. This new market is also very attractive for European clubs, and in particular Portuguese which are the ones who are benefiting the most at the moment ”. The Iranian market thus appears to be buoyant for Portuguese football, and the opening of the Persian Gulf Pro League to Portuguese technicians quickly responded to a massive influx of Iranian players into Liga NOS.
In recent years, many compatriots of Mehdi Taremi have experienced the Portuguese championship. This is in particular the case of Mohammadi, passed by Desportivo das Aves, of Amir Abedzadeh and Ali Alipour who play at Maritimo or even of Jafar Salmani at Portimonense. The privileged links between Iranian football and the Portuguese league are such that it is now the second foreign league (after the Qatar Stars League) to host the most Persian players. “Portugal is a favorite destination for Iranian players today,” added Miguel Teixeira. It’s a championship seen as the perfect launching pad to play for the best clubs in the world. The example of Taremi, who becomes a true national idol, convinced his compatriots. Some Sepahan FC players have also had discussions in recent months with Portuguese clubs (in comments collected by A Bola, Miguel Teixeira gave the names of Payam, Rafiei and Mohebi, N.D.L.R.). So they talked to me and their agents about it because they are great offers for them from a sporting point of view. And then Portugal is also a very pleasant country for foreigners, the people are welcoming and the food is good (laughs…)! ". As you will have understood, the Portuguese-Iranian sector is therefore still far from having proved its worth.
Opening up to the Asian market?
Japan and Portimonense on the one hand, Carlos Queiroz as a link between Iran and Portugal on the other. But do the links between the Portuguese league and the Asian market stop at these two components? No real suspense, the answer is no. And without additional surprise, it is the Japanese who dominate the championship in number of Asian players with eight elements under contract with Portuguese clubs. First, there is Hidemasa Morita, author of a top-flight season with Santa Clara. Then there is Ryotaro Meshino at Rio Ave and Kanya Fujimoto at Gil Vicente, on loan from Manchester City and Tokyo FC respectively. Finally, there is Shoya Nakajima, on loan from FC Porto to Al-Ain FC, Leo Kokubo who plays with the Benfica reserve and the three Japanese belonging to Portimonense who are Gonda, Nakamura and Anzai. But the Portimão club are no longer just looking at the Japanese market and have broadened their horizons. Indeed, the club recorded the arrival of Malaysian superstar Safawi Rasid from Johor DT last summer, who failed to convince new manager Paulo Sergio, however. There are also South Korean Seung-woo Lee and Iranian Jafar Salmani. We can also note the passage of the Iraqi Osama Rashid on the side of Santa Clara where he was an important element of the midfielder last season, as well as the few appearances of the Israeli Dor Jan at the forefront of the Paços attack. from Ferreira. As you will have noticed, most of these players play in bottom clubs or have been used very little this year. This underscores the fact that the Asian market remains a betting market for small clubs which form an essential intermediate step before a move to a larger club, as evidenced by the Nakajima and Taremi cases.
As the example of Portimonense can show, Portugal's new links with Asia are not only sporting. They are also economical. The recruitment and observation of many Asian talents on the part of Portuguese club staff is accompanied by a desire to make La Liga NOS appear as well as possible to the Asian public. This is particularly the case of the Chinese audiovisual market, which is also targeted by other major European leagues such as the Premier League and Ligue 1. In this context of marketing conquest, the president of the Portuguese Football League Pedro Proença s He traveled to Shenzhen, China in 2016 to meet Zhan He Yun, general manager of sport in the Chinese province.
Pedro Proença, President of the Portuguese Football League, during the presentation of the 2020-2021 season.
Discussions between these two parties resulted in a sale of television rights for the Portuguese championship to China, but not only. They first promoted the establishment of collective sports synergies. These negotiations also led to the naming contract for the second division, now called Ledman Liga Pro, named after a large Chinese tech group based in Shenzhen. Linked to this naming contract was a more informal deal from Martin Lee, CEO of Ledman, who promised to send a Chinese player to the top ten D2 teams each year. Although in reality we never reached this number, it still allowed to see a dozen Chinese players evolving in this championship spread over three seasons between 2015 and 2018. Today, however, there are no more Chinese players. in the championship. Although initially economical, these mergers with the Asian market also ultimately lead to sporting links which have, however, deteriorated in recent years.
Portugal therefore seems to have become a kind of Eldorado for the Asian market which is also an interesting issue for some Portuguese clubs, especially the less powerful economically. Through its main players, the leaders of Portimonense, Carlos Queiroz and Pedro Proença, these affinities, both sporting and economic, have continued to evolve for almost a decade. However, this pioneering role of the Portuguese in the exploitation of the Asian market risks being confronted with the entry into play of more powerful actors. We can recall the example of the City Football Group which, through clubs based directly in Japan or India, now wishes to exploit local talent directly within its industry. Other European clubs are also looking at Asian nuggets like Real Madrid with Kubo. But it is especially the German clubs who have learned to exploit the Asian market (in particular Japanese and South Korean) at best by creating strong and ultimately victorious competition vis-à-vis that of Portugal.
Portimonense and the Japanese market, a precursor?
If there is one Portuguese club that seems to have been a pioneer in observing and using the Asian market, it is sure to be Portimonense. Since 2016, to overcome salient sporting and economic difficulties, the Portimão club has indeed completely revised its recruitment policy by turning to the far west of the Eurasian continent. This new policy was based on a decisive trio linking Portugal and Japan. The latter is based on a collaboration between three men. Among these, the central personality of this partnership is found in the person of Takeshi Okada. Vice-president of the Japanese Football Federation and former manager of the Japanese national team, he invested in the Portimonense club from the beginning of the 2010s, until becoming a majority shareholder from 2016. By his side in the establishment of a Portuguese-Japanese market, we find Rodiney Sampaio (director of the club's SAD) and Robson Ponte, technical director of the club who passed as a player in Japan with the Urawa Red Diamonds. Since 2016 (which is therefore a pivotal year), these three men have thus put in place a new sporting and economic plan, attracting new Japanese players and investors to Portugal.
In many ways, this project marks a real success for the Algarve-based club. From 2016, an agreement was linked between the club and certain governing bodies of Japanese football. The deal is a win-win deal: Portimonense must send its experienced players first to Japan, while the club have a priority option on some of the best promises of the Japanese leagues. The first exchanges quickly follow. In 2016 Fabricio was loaned to the Kashima Antlers while Renatinho was sent to Vonds Ichihara the following year. In parallel, Shoya Nakajima arrives in Portugal from FC Tokyo in 2017. He is followed by Shuichi Gonda, Koki Anzai and Takuma Nishimura in 2019 then Kosuke Nakamura in the last transfer window. All these arrivals allow the Portuguese club to perform in the league, having now been there for five years, while enjoying an encouraging economic record. While sales from Nakajima, Ewerton and Paulinho, all from the partnership with Japan, show more than 45 million euros in revenue for the 2018-2019 season alone, the club is also attracting new sponsors. This is the case of Mizuno, the club’s Japanese equipment supplier, which enjoys a high popularity rating in Asia.
From left to right: Shoya Nakajima, Rodiney Sampaio and Yuta Koike during the presentation of the two players in 2017.
A Portuguese-Iranian bridge: Carlos Queiroz
When he was appointed manager in 2011, only one Iranian player played in Europe, in Osasuna: Javad Nekunam. In 2018, as Iran prepares to compete for the World Cup in Russia, 18 of the 23 players called up, or nearly 80% of internationals, play in Europe. These statistics tend to show the evolution of the international level in barely 7 years, under the control of his Portuguese coach: Carlos Queiroz. He is a strong figure in Portuguese football, being in particular the main actor in the structuring of the Portuguese coaching school, the Faculdade de motricidade humana, which is located on the outskirts of Lisbon and of which he was a teacher in the 1980s. is from this school from which, among others, José Mourinho came. Through this school, Queiroz's influence on Portuguese football is therefore significant. As a true builder that he is, he will also restructure all the facilities of the selection, which he strongly criticizes when he arrives in Persian lands. So far, no clear link between Iranian players and the Portuguese league yet. Nonetheless, whether it was Iranian structures or Queiroz's influence, these would have a significant impact on Luso-Iranian ties that would follow years later.
In the wake of his Iranian adventure, Carlos Queiroz was accompanied by several other Portuguese technicians. This is first of all the case with Toni. Benfica legend, the Portuguese took charge of the Iranian club Tractor between 2012 and 2015. He noted the good adaptability of Iranian players by highlighting the work carried out upstream by Carlos Queiroz in selection:
“In terms of skills and working ability, Iranian players are very disciplined. These are players who are receptive to the new methods and exercises that are offered to them. Taremi himself stressed that he already knew some of the exercises proposed by Carlos Carvalhal, thanks to what he had learned in selection with Queiroz ". In fact, the former Rio Ave coach himself admitted that Carlos Queiroz had been a great help in the talks for the signing of the Iranian center-forward. Indeed, the Portuguese club did not have the economic power to attract the player who played in Qatar and the influence of the Portuguese manager of Iran was therefore decisive.
Carlos Queiroz and his players at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In recent years, many compatriots of Mehdi Taremi have experienced the Portuguese championship. This is in particular the case of Mohammadi, passed by Desportivo das Aves, of Amir Abedzadeh and Ali Alipour who play at Maritimo or even of Jafar Salmani at Portimonense. The privileged links between Iranian football and the Portuguese league are such that it is now the second foreign league (after the Qatar Stars League) to host the most Persian players. “Portugal is a favorite destination for Iranian players today,” added Miguel Teixeira. It’s a championship seen as the perfect launching pad to play for the best clubs in the world. The example of Taremi, who becomes a true national idol, convinced his compatriots. Some Sepahan FC players have also had discussions in recent months with Portuguese clubs (in comments collected by A Bola, Miguel Teixeira gave the names of Payam, Rafiei and Mohebi, N.D.L.R.). So they talked to me and their agents about it because they are great offers for them from a sporting point of view. And then Portugal is also a very pleasant country for foreigners, the people are welcoming and the food is good (laughs…)! ". As you will have understood, the Portuguese-Iranian sector is therefore still far from having proved its worth.
Opening up to the Asian market?
Japan and Portimonense on the one hand, Carlos Queiroz as a link between Iran and Portugal on the other. But do the links between the Portuguese league and the Asian market stop at these two components? No real suspense, the answer is no. And without additional surprise, it is the Japanese who dominate the championship in number of Asian players with eight elements under contract with Portuguese clubs. First, there is Hidemasa Morita, author of a top-flight season with Santa Clara. Then there is Ryotaro Meshino at Rio Ave and Kanya Fujimoto at Gil Vicente, on loan from Manchester City and Tokyo FC respectively. Finally, there is Shoya Nakajima, on loan from FC Porto to Al-Ain FC, Leo Kokubo who plays with the Benfica reserve and the three Japanese belonging to Portimonense who are Gonda, Nakamura and Anzai. But the Portimão club are no longer just looking at the Japanese market and have broadened their horizons. Indeed, the club recorded the arrival of Malaysian superstar Safawi Rasid from Johor DT last summer, who failed to convince new manager Paulo Sergio, however. There are also South Korean Seung-woo Lee and Iranian Jafar Salmani. We can also note the passage of the Iraqi Osama Rashid on the side of Santa Clara where he was an important element of the midfielder last season, as well as the few appearances of the Israeli Dor Jan at the forefront of the Paços attack. from Ferreira. As you will have noticed, most of these players play in bottom clubs or have been used very little this year. This underscores the fact that the Asian market remains a betting market for small clubs which form an essential intermediate step before a move to a larger club, as evidenced by the Nakajima and Taremi cases.
As the example of Portimonense can show, Portugal's new links with Asia are not only sporting. They are also economical. The recruitment and observation of many Asian talents on the part of Portuguese club staff is accompanied by a desire to make La Liga NOS appear as well as possible to the Asian public. This is particularly the case of the Chinese audiovisual market, which is also targeted by other major European leagues such as the Premier League and Ligue 1. In this context of marketing conquest, the president of the Portuguese Football League Pedro Proença s He traveled to Shenzhen, China in 2016 to meet Zhan He Yun, general manager of sport in the Chinese province.
Pedro Proença, President of the Portuguese Football League, during the presentation of the 2020-2021 season.
Portugal therefore seems to have become a kind of Eldorado for the Asian market which is also an interesting issue for some Portuguese clubs, especially the less powerful economically. Through its main players, the leaders of Portimonense, Carlos Queiroz and Pedro Proença, these affinities, both sporting and economic, have continued to evolve for almost a decade. However, this pioneering role of the Portuguese in the exploitation of the Asian market risks being confronted with the entry into play of more powerful actors. We can recall the example of the City Football Group which, through clubs based directly in Japan or India, now wishes to exploit local talent directly within its industry. Other European clubs are also looking at Asian nuggets like Real Madrid with Kubo. But it is especially the German clubs who have learned to exploit the Asian market (in particular Japanese and South Korean) at best by creating strong and ultimately victorious competition vis-à-vis that of Portugal.
Comment