Wasserman’s Industry-Leading Sports Talent Representation Practice Continues European Growth with First Switzerland Venture
LOS ANGELES and LONDON (Tuesday 10 September, 2024) – Global sports, music, and entertainment company Wasserman has acquired football talent representation business International Football Management (IFM), in a deal announced today by Wasserman Vice President, International Operations, Global Football, Lee Charnley. As part of the acquisition, Wolfgang Vöge, Franco Moretti, Fabian von Matt and Jürg von Matt will all join Wasserman as Senior Vice President, International Football.
Lee Charnley said of the acquisition, “Over the past 20 years, the IFM team has built the number one football player agency in Switzerland. It’s a business founded on honesty, trust and respect – values which align entirely with our own approach to talent representation. With Franco and Fabian leading our football operations out of Switzerland moving forwards, we will continue to build on those strong foundations, identifying untapped opportunities for our new and expanded roster of elite football talent.”
Moretti said “IFM has always been guided by a desire to maximise the potential of each and every one of our clients, both on and off the pitch. By joining a global leader such as Wasserman, we are now in a position to take the careers of our players to new heights.” A sentiment shared by von Matt who said “Wasserman’s footprint in Europe is ever-growing and to be a part of this expansion is truly exciting. This felt like the perfect partnership for us; Wasserman has a long-established presence in football so it’s an honour to be leading its entry into the Swiss market alongside the Global Football team.”
“Wasserman is a major force in the football talent representation space and this has given us the opportunity to become a global player in the industry.” said Vöge.
Founded in 2003 by former professional footballer, Wolfgang Vöge, IFM has been advising footballers, clubs and associations for more than twenty years. IFM is the leading player representation business in Switzerland, with over 40 footballers participating across the major domestic leagues in Europe. At the recent UEFA EURO 2024 Championships in Germany, IFM had six clients in the Switzerland squad that reached the Quarter Final stage.
IFM’s impressive list of clients includes Manchester City’s treble-winning Swiss star, Manuel Akanji, who was recently named in the Team of the Tournament at the 2024 European Championships, as well as three further 2024/25 Champions League participants in Michel Aebischer of Bologna FC, Fabian Rieder of VfB Stuttgart and Filip Ugrinic of Swiss Super League club Young Boys who was named the best player of the Super League for the 2023/24 season. They will join Wasserman’s existing roster of exceptional footballing talent, which includes Akanji’s club teammates John Stones (Manchester City and England) and Nathan Ake (Manchester City and Netherlands), alongside other huge names in global football such as 2023/24 La Liga and Champions League winner Fede Valverde (Real Madrid and Uruguay), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus and Netherlands), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan and Netherlands), Alessia Russo (England and Arsenal), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars and USA), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Enzo Maresca (Chelsea).
The team will continue to be operate from offices in Winterthur, Switzerland where the company was founded, as well as in Zurich. The opening of a formal office in Switzerland further establishes Wasserman’s presence in the DACH region and the team will work closely with Wasserman colleagues in Germany to maximise opportunities and strengthen their operations in these key markets.
The addition of IFM bolsters Wasserman’s ambitious growth strategy, demonstrated recently by the acquisition of talent marketing and representation business, Line Up Sports in Ireland, as well as the UK’s leading women’s football agency, Volante Sports. This follows the acquisition and the launch of Wasserman Cricket in March and the acquisition and ensuing rebrand of CSM Sport & Entertainment in October 2023 and March 2024, respectively. Wasserman has become a leading marketing, management, representation and sales business with the ability to provide tailored services and an unrivalled network of relationships, skills and specialisms.
About Wasserman
Wasserman operates at the epicenter of sports, music, entertainment and culture, serving talent, brands and properties on a global scale. Wasserman works with iconic sports and media figures across the world in every major sport, utilizing our extensive influence to maximize negotiations and create meaningful opportunities for our clients across teams, leagues, brands, content and live events.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Wasserman’s presence spans 27 countries and more than 66 cities, including New York, London, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Madrid, Mexico City, Toronto, Paris and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.teamwass.com.
