Khalid Sinouh has missed ‘the silver fleet’ with Brian Brobbey, the agent says in the program Leeuwen van Football zone. From his youth, Brobbey was coached by Sinouh for four years, who was thanked for services rendered after his breakthrough in Ajax’s first team. The striker switched to the late Mino Raiola, who shortly later received millions of euros in commission from Brobbey’s transfer-free transfer to RB Leipzig.
Sinouh was a guest on Friday Leeuwen to talk about the World Cup match of the Netherlands against Ecuador (1-1) and also spoke about his work as an agent. The world of player brokerage sees Sinouh as a ‘wasp’s nest’. “You can’t sit quietly in your chair and lean back,” says the former goalkeeper, who played four times for the Moroccan national team. “You have to constantly look over your shoulders.”
Still, Sinouh loves his job. “Guiding players is the best thing there is. You can help someone and really contribute to their career.” Sinouh was working on such a process with Brobbey, but ultimately did not reap the benefits. The agent explains that his world works with contracts of a maximum of two years. “Then you have two years of certainty, but after that the player will walk away from you.” Sinouh also had to deal with this when Brobbey switched to Raiola after their contract expired. “Then you worked hard for nothing.”
There is a difference between guiding players and taking care of things, explains Sinouh. “A player needs guidance up to the age of 22, because it is the most difficult to take the step to professional football.” It is a time-consuming investment for an agent who has to pay off later. “From the age of 22, the player is more or less mature and it mainly becomes business: negotiating contracts and maintaining the relationship.”
Agents are constantly confronted with departing players, says Sinouh. “Player loyalty is very hard to find, I’m honest about that. It’s getting more and more difficult. Many players choose a big name, but they don’t look at the supervisor they need at that moment.” The competition is cutthroat. “You get to deal with a lot of highway robbers. Offices work in a way that isn’t quite kosher, but everyone knows that. If you want to stay honest and correct, it will take you longer to succeed. You have to get off the streets and pull out all the stops to bring players in. There’s so much competition.”
