EOne must admit the Wolverhampton Wanderers: they have a sense of humor. They proved that ahead of the season when they unveiled their new third kit. It’s dark red – fashion connoisseurs call it maroon – with a dark green waistband and prints. The shirt is reminiscent of the traditional colors of the Portuguese national team.
The design is well received by the fans: According to the club, so many people had bought or ordered the jersey 24 hours after the presentation that sales exceeded the home jersey from the previous season by six percent. Vinny Clark, the responsible manager at the “Wolves”, said: “Although football is a team sport, we are proud to celebrate the individuals who make up our team.” And what could be more suitable than the colors of Portugal? After all, nine players in the current professional squad come from Portugal or have Portuguese roots – plus coach Nuno Espírito Santo.
This is not a coincidence, but a trend that has been going on for four years. In the summer of 2016, the club – at that time still based in the English second division – was taken over by the Chinese investment company Fosun International. The new owner immediately started pumping money into the club. The promotion to the Premier League did not succeed straight away, but on the second attempt, Espírito Santo Wolverhampton, who was signed in July 2017, led the championship into the first division as champions. There they continued their good development, they finished seventh for two consecutive years and last season played in the Europa League, where they only failed in the quarter-finals at Sevilla FC. In its season preview for the “Wolves”, the Guardian wrote that “an advance towards the top four could be realistic”.
Actually a nice story in the Premier League, which is so dominated by the Big Six clubs that a championship like that of Leicester City four years ago can be nothing more than a fairy tale, a slip, a mistake in the system. But the success of Wolverhampton is based to a significant extent on a dodgy interdependence of companies, which was criticized by competitors like Leeds United in the second division. The responsible leagues and associations don’t seem to have any objection. To make the problem clearer, the Portuguese come back into play. Seven of them are under contract with the same consultant: “Super Agent” Jorge Mendes or his company Gestifute, whose most prominent clients include Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham coach José Mourinho.
System selection
The accumulation of players at Wolverhampton represented by Mendes is systematic. Fosun has held up to 20 percent of the shares in the holding company of Mendes’ agency Gestifute since 2015 via a subsidiary. The English media uncovered this, and in the course of the “Football Leaks” revelations, this amalgamation was exposed again. Mendes is also said to have advised Fosun on the takeover of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and soon afterwards he introduced the club to Espírito Santo, a new coach and long-term client and confidante.
The rules of the English Football Association, on the other hand, stipulate that a player’s agent and his company may not be directly involved in the business of a club – and vice versa. Fosun describes Mendes only as a friend and advisor, he is not officially part of the club. However, it is undisputed that he earns money on transfers on a large scale – and with him Fosun International. According to Football Leaks, Jeff Shi, who chairs the club’s board of directors for Fosun, wrote in an email to a Gestifute employee: “Jorge can regard the Wolves as his most reliable partner and source of agency income for a long, long time.”
In four years from the second division to the European Cup and into the top ten of the Premier League – the sporting development of the “Wolves” is definitely remarkable. However, the start of the new season did not go according to plan. With two wins and two defeats they are only in 13th place before the fifth game day; they were eliminated from the league cup early against the second division club Stoke City.
Two important exits
Two key players left the club in the summer: striker Diogo Jota moved to Liverpool for almost 45 million euros, right defender and midfielder Matt Doherty to Tottenham Hotspur for around 17 million. Both are represented by Jorge Mendes. In addition to other additions, Wolverhampton bought the Portuguese Fábio Silva and Nélson Semedo for a total of 70 million euros to replace the departures – the latter is also a Gestifute client.
With striker Raúl Jiménez, the key player from Espírito Santo has extended for four more years with the “Wolves”. He scored 27 goals in all competitions last season and has been twice successful this season. “We have to have big goals and then we have to prove that we can do it on the pitch,” he said on his contract extension.
Before the international break, Wolverhampton won 1-0 against newly promoted Fulham FC without shine. “I think we have to do better at our standard,” said Espírito Santo, dissatisfied despite the win. His team will face Leeds United on Monday (9 p.m. on Sky). Jorge Mendes should watch closely how the team presents itself this time – and note down any weak points for consultation purposes. It won’t be long before the winter transfer window opens.
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