Benny Folkmann

Red Bull first got into football club ownership in 2005 with the acquisition of Austrian side RB Salzburg. Since then, they have invested in numerous sports and grown a multi-club football model which includes New York Red Bulls in the US, RB Bragantino in Brazil, and RB Leipzig from Germany. The Red Bull approach initially followed a stringent criteria and took a spin on traditional sponsorship in football, only acquiring clubs with potential for a re-brand and shared ethos. However, since the passing of its original founder in 2022, the group’s strategy shifted as the product of an overhauled management - and you could also say - today’s leveraged opportunities in sport This has led to Red Bull’s most recent deal for a minority stake in Leeds United with the club’s brand and current setup being recognised by the group as having ‘global potential’. Championship clubs offer investors accessible entry points into the Premier League with a minimum £140m gained on promotion, or £300m if relegation is avoided in the first season - not adjusted for any appreciation over coming seasons. If played right, it seems that English football may be the one that gives you wiings… 🪽

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𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝟮, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁... Bundesliga 2 kicked off its 50th season last weekend with mostly packed stadiums, highlighted by a sold-out match between Köln and Hamburg. Other stadiums, including those in Berlin (48,591 distributed tickets) and Gelsenkirchen (60,534), also saw high attendance. Consequently, roughly 83 percent of all available tickets were distributed to fans, similar to last season's average. For those who follow my LinkedIn posts, this evidently strong interest in Bundesliga 2 should come as no surprise. The league attracted more fans than France's Ligue 1 last season, and this year, I anticipate ticket managers will distribute over 9 million tickets. This could theoretically position Bundesliga 2 to surpass Italy’s Serie A in attendance, though this remains a long shot. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 A significant portion of these tickets are season passes, which are in high demand. According to Kicker, 13 out of 18 Bundesliga 2 clubs sold more season tickets than last season, while four maintained last season’s numbers. Only Darmstadt saw a decline, though the relegated club still distributed about 13,000 tickets, which translates into the largest percentage considering the club's relatively small capacity. Overall, the 18 clubs issued approximately 294,000 season tickets. Before the first match day, the ticket count was already around 5 million, representing about 51% of the available home (team) capacity. This excludes matchday tickets, which last year accounted for roughly half of all tickets. For context, these 5 million tickets are only slightly fewer than the approximately 5.4 million distributed in the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗳𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗴, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 However, the distribution of season tickets presents challenges. Season ticket holders typically miss three to four matches per season and tend to arrive later. Additionally, season tickets come with significant discounts, leading to smaller profit margins. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 Given these factors, one might question why clubs are issuing so many season tickets, especially if the demand for seats is that high. Perhaps the demand isn't as high as it seems. Survey research suggests that a primary motivation for purchasing a season ticket is not necessarily to attend every match or to receive a discount but to support the team financially and feel involved. Therefore, attendance demand, as indicated by season ticket sales, may be overestimated. Ticket executives likely recognize this and prefer the secure income from season tickets over the potentially higher but less certain margins from matchday tickets. As we'll likely see in the next weeks, this tendency is stronger in Bundesliga, though.

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With EURO 2024 GmbH 🌍❤️⚽️ on its way everyone is waiting for the first kick-off of DFB vs Scottish Football Association 🥳🎉 but I am equally eager to discover new TV commercials. 📺✨ As we look back at the history of the UEFA European Championship, there were many iconic TV commercials that did not only stay in our minds but also helped the brands to reach their goals! 🎯📊 Here are some of the top commercials that truly made an impact: 1️⃣ Nike - "Take It to the Next Level" (EURO 2008) 🎬 Directed by Guy Ritchie, this ad took us on a thrilling first-person journey through a footballer's rise to stardom. 📈 Over 50 million views on YouTube! 🚀 2️⃣ Carlsberg Group - "Team Talk" (EURO 2012) 🏟️ Featuring legendary football figures like Sir Bobby Charlton and Peter Schmeichel, this ad gave fans an epic pre-match pep talk. 👀 Viewed by 20 million people in the first week! 💥 3️⃣ The Coca-Cola Company-Cola - "Where Will Happiness Strike Next?" (EURO 2016) 🎉 This heartwarming commercial showed how football brings people together from all walks of life. 🌐 Garnered 30 million views across social media platforms! 🌟 4️⃣ adidas - "Create the Answer" (EURO 2016) 🌟 Starring football stars like Paul Pogba and Mesut Özil, this ad inspired fans to create their own destiny. 📲 25 million views on YouTube and counting! 🏅 5️⃣ Volkswagen - "Jump on the Wagon" (EURO 2020) 🚗 Featuring a humorous take on fans’ dedication, this ad resonated deeply with the audience. 📊 Reached over 15 million viewers in just two weeks! 🤩 Which one is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 👇🔥 #EUROs #Football #Commercials #Advertising #Nike #Carlsberg #CocaCola #Adidas #Volkswagen #FootballFans #Marketing #SportsMarketing

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Excellent to see how Hudl is supporting teams with Hudl Insight. A powerful tool that can combine multiple data sources together to maximise efficiency of work flows in human performance, team performance, and scouting & recrutiment. #sportsanalysis #data #football #scouting #performanceanalysis #sportscience

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𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗯𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀... Perhaps afraid of public backlash from their core support, German sports executives seem to hardly exploit the potential of non-price sales promotions, such as adding accompanying concerts and fireworks to the matchday experience or introducing matchday giveaways to increase stadium attendance demand. That's certainly different in Major League Baseball (MLB), where team owners use such promotions on average for about every third match. And there's one giveaway that undoubtedly stands out: Bobbleheads. Yes, you've read this right. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀! I love bobbleheads. I mean, who doesn't? Right? Here are five things you need to know about MLB bobbleheads. 1️⃣ I'm not an expert, but 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁: Jeffrey Cisyk and Pascal Courty, from whose empirical results I generously draw here. 2️⃣ According to Jeffrey, MLB teams, on average, 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, and giveaways are relatively common. 3️⃣ You wonder why? Distributing giveaways (e.g., bobbleheads) 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗟𝗕 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱, on average, by about 10%. 4️⃣ Different strategies exist, and giveaways are not always guaranteed. It's common to distribute giveaways on a 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀 or to fans who bought special tickets. 5️⃣ Intriguingly, with bobbleheads, 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 (𝗶.𝗲., 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆), successfully nurturing demand and, thus, making some decent profit. Why's that? While bobbleheads, which are relatively inexpensive, attract new spectators (ticketing income), both new and existing fans might arrive earlier to matches (e.g., concessions income) to grab their figure. What's your perspective on such promotions, Rick J.? Have you ever considered distributing bobbleheads, Daniel Däuper? Would you want one, Mark A. H.?

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𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝟮 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀: 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗱𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸? Last week, several websites released season ticket rankings for Bundesliga 2, and I shared some initial thoughts on this topic on Monday. Supporting the notion of imminent growth, many stories highlighted the increase in season ticket sales. For instance, Germany's leading sports magazine, kicker, noted that 13 Bundesliga 2 clubs sold more season tickets than last season, while four maintained their previous numbers. Only SV Darmstadt 1898 e.V., it stressed, distributed fewer tickets, suggesting that the club may have missed the mark. However, I believe this observation needs more context. As I mentioned in my previous post, Darmstadt still distributed the most season tickets relative to its stadium capacity—a staggering 73 percent. Considering that away team fans typically receive a maximum of ten percent of all tickets, it's clear that matchday tickets are a scarce commodity in Darmstadt. For a club with a relatively limited seat supply, such as Darmstadt, this scarcity can be problematic. Higher margins are achievable when distributing matchday tickets if seat demand is likely to exceed supply. Occasional visitors also spend more time in the stadium, and no-show rates are lower, meaning ancillary revenue is likely higher. While I am not privy to the club's ticketing strategy or whether the decline is due to reduced spectator interest, from my perspective, it makes sense that distributing fewer season tickets could be a strategic decision when finances are tight following relegation. In this regard, selling out the opening match against Fortuna Düsseldorf suggests the club is (as yet) already better off than with a new season ticket sales record. In the slide below, I rank the 18 clubs by the total number of distributed season tickets (left panel) and the relative share (right panel). Theoretically, Darmstadt has it right, and if it had been my call, the club would have distributed even fewer season tickets. Or am I missing something?

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“MORE REVENUE in ticketing”. My speech topic at the CTS EVENTIM Sports GmbH tennis workshop. How we manage to do this successfully at many tennis tournaments is a matter of experience: 🔹 Focus on REVENUE-GENERATING activities The most important thing for us is that we achieve clearly defined, measurable and data-based goals with event organizers. Goal number 1: MORE REVENUE, of course. Who doesn't want that? We are passionate about this topic. And that's why our focus is always on revenue-generating activities. What do we mean by that? 1️⃣ Pricing strategy & dynamic pricing The price structure at the start of the pre-sale is the key. Dynamic pricing is an important component here. We have our own algorithm and clear criteria by which we measure when we are optimally sold out and how we adjust the pricing based on buyer behavior in order to maximize sales. 2️⃣ Campaigns: We know which campaigns work and which don't. We like to transfer the things that work well to different tournaments and test new things constantly. In both cases, the key to success depends on the ability to measure the results. Whether dynamic pricing or campaigns. Nothing is based on feeling. Data-based, measurable. It´s clear: success can be planned! 🔹 Avoid time-consuming tasks and slow processes Our time is limited. That's why we have to set priorities. If we want to focus on revenue-generating activities, we need to organize our daily business as efficiently and quickly as possible. We and the tournament organizers save time by optimizing processes and communication. How do we achieve this? 1️⃣ Clients Ticketing Board All information at a glance. Order free tickets, sponsor tickets, request promotion codes, view sales numbers. With us, every organizer has access to their individual ticketing board via our platform. This saves time for everyone and all steps can be traced afterwards. 2️⃣ Digital ticket for sponsors including explanatory video for sponsors and their guests. How happy sponsors are when they no longer have to download their tickets and coordinate them themselves? How easy can it be if they have their own account from which they can forward their tickets in seconds and keep track of everything? Yes... very easy 😉 We are passionate about what we do! Thanks to Michael Günther and your team for provide the opportunity for further education. 🎾 🙌 #ticketing #tennis #workshop

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Analyzing Defensive Mistakes that Cost Bayer Leverkusen the Europa League Final Against Atalanta **"In football, small mistakes can have big consequences. Individual lapses in defensive principles can turn the tide of a game, as seen in the Europa League final where Atalanta triumphed over Bayer Leverkusen. Here’s a breakdown of the crucial errors that led to three goals by Ademola Lookman."** 🔵⚽️ **Goal 1: Failure to Mark and Scan** 1. **Lost the Second Ball**: After losing the second ball, Bayer Leverkusen's defense failed to re-organize quickly. 2. **Unmarked Cross**: The player who sent the cross was left unmarked, providing him ample time and space to deliver a precise ball. 3. **Lack of Scanning**: Lookman was positioned at the far post, and his marker was too focused on the right side, failing to scan his back and leaving Lookman unmarked. 4. **Result**: Lookman capitalized on this defensive lapse, positioning himself perfectly to score from the cross. --- 🔵⚽️ **Goal 2: Delayed Pressing and Space** 1. **Lost Second Ball**: Again, Bayer Leverkusen lost the second ball in midfield, allowing Atalanta to regain possession. 2. **Space in Front of the Box**: Lookman received the ball with about 15 meters of space in front of the box. 3. **Lack of Immediate Press**: The center-back behind Lookman failed to press immediately, opting to delay and wait for Lookman to control the ball. 4. **Result**: This hesitation allowed Lookman to turn, move to his right side, and shoot, resulting in another goal for Atalanta. --- 🔵⚽️ **Goal 3: Poor Defensive Transition and Positioning** 1. **Attacking Transition**: During a fast attacking transition by Atalanta, the nearest Bayer Leverkusen player didn't sprint back quickly enough to close down the space or To Cut Way of Ball Carier 2. **Body Orientation**: The defender's body orientation was not Directly to Ball Carier Way , making it difficult to react quickly. 3. **1v1 Situation**: When Lookman received the ball on the left side, he was 1v1 with a center-back. 4. **Space and Foot Positioning**: The center-back gave Lookman too much space, and his feet were too close together, compromising his stability and agility. 5. **Result**: Lookman used this space effectively, making a move to his right and then shooting with his left foot to score. --- **Defensive principles are paramount, especially in crucial matches. Each of these goals highlights the importance of:**  - **Marking and scanning**: Constantly being aware of your surroundings and ensuring opponents are marked. - **Immediate pressing**: Reducing space and time for attackers to make decisions. - **Proper positioning and body orientation**: Ensuring you’re ready to react and close down the attacker effectively. #Football #Defending #Tactics #GameAnalysis #EuropaLeague #BayerLeverkusen #Atalanta #CoachingInsights #Skills #GameChanger Once Sport

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Borussia VfL 1900 Mönchengladbach GmbH is yet another global football brand that decided to extend their Asian presence with newly deployed Japan X Channel 🇯🇵🎉 🇯🇵 Japan isn’t just another dot on the globe for the Fohlen — it’s a crucial part of their worldwide strategy and systematical expansion of the brand. With Ko Itakura and Shio Fukuda proudly representing the club, Borussia’s fanbase in Japan has been flourishing 🌸, making this the perfect moment to launch a dedicated channel where Japanese fans can catch all the latest news 🗞️ Such localization allows to get closer to the fanbase and build more direct and immersive relationship. This move is part of Borussia’s broader strategy to deepen ties with football fans across Asia - the most fast-growing football market in the world🌏. And they’re not alone! European clubs have been eyeing Asia for years as a key growth market. Take FC Barcelona Barcelona, for example. They opened their first office in Hong Kong in 2013 🏢, and since then, they’ve engaged millions of fans through digital platforms, even launching special content just for Asia. Not to be outdone, Manchester United United has a staggering 325 million fans across Asia—nearly half of their global fanbase! 🇬🇧🔴 They’ve been touring the continent regularly, playing friendly matches in cities like Bangkok, Shanghai, and Singapore. Borussia has already made significant inroads in Asia. Since 2018, the club has been making waves in another leaders of football fandom leaders - China 🇨🇳, establishing a subsidiary and opening two academies in the football-frenzied cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai. Building on this success, Borussia has also spread its wings to Southeast Asia, launching academies in Singapore 🇸🇬 and Indonesia 🇮🇩. These academies aren’t just about training—they’re about building a community of future stars and die-hard fans in one of the world’s most passionate football regions! ⚽✨

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German professional football remains an absolute magnet for spectators, with more than 20m people continuing to follow their clubs avidly, regardless of league affiliation: the #Bundesliga has consistently been the football league with the highest attendance, while the #Bundesliga2 also outranks many of Europe's top divisions In addition to the attractive and safe football experience in the stadiums, moderate ticket prices compared to the rest of Europe also contribute to this. These figures are a strong signal for our leagues, which further increases the anticipation for the coming season. #Bundesliga remains Football As It's Meant To Be.

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Great Insights

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At the kick-off of the 2024/25 Premier League season, the recruitment by the 20 clubs in England's top division stands at 101 players recruited in, according to Transfermarkt GmbH & Co. KG 47 of those players would've required a work permit. Almost half of the players bought by Premier League clubs have either been granted a GBE or are currently filling one of the Premier League clubs' ESC slots. This is a huge sector of recruitment to know about. It isn't necessarily straightforward, and it certainly isn't always successful. There has been activity involving GBE and ESC all the way from the Premier League down to League Two this summer, and from familiar markets such as France's Ligue 1, to Iceland's Besta deild karla. Hopefully, many already have a good understanding of the market and the regulations around them, but please follow me on LinkedIn if not, as I will be continuing to analyse these trends and working hard to provide value and knowledge. There is much to come...

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Are Bundesliga Clubs Getting It Wrong? Most people are missing something deeper. What These Transfers Really Tell Us: Strategic Targeting ↳ RB Leipzig bets on Openda’s potential. ↳ FC Bayern München boosts depth with Dier and Olise. Value Optimization ↳ FC Bayern München gets Dier at a smart price. ↳ Borussia Dortmund invests wisely in Brunner’s youth. Financial Flexibility ↳ RB Leipzig’s add-ons for Openda reward performance. ↳ Olise’s deal includes structured add-ons for Bayern. Youth Focus ↳ Borussia Dortmund Dortmund continues to nurture young talent. ↳ Bundesliga clubs mix experience with promising youth. But here’s the catch: Are these moves truly setting up success? Or just playing it safe? Is safe really the best strategy in this fierce market? Share your thoughts and let’s debate ↓

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Supporting The decision to use a hybrid pitch for the European finals, such as the UEFA Champions League final or the UEFA European Championship final, is often made to ensure optimal playing conditions for the teams and to meet the high standards expected for such prestigious elite matches. THE OLYMPIA STADIUM IN BERLIN IS AN HYBRID PITCH. A hybrid pitch typically combines natural grass with artificial fibers, woven into the natural grass. This combination is believed to provide a more durable playing surface that can withstand the wear and tear of multiple matches and events, especially in stadiums that host a high volume of elite games throughout the year. The use of a hybrid pitch can also help to ensure consistent playing conditions, even in adverse weather conditions or during periods of heavy use. This can be particularly important for major finals where the quality of the playing surface can have a significant impact on the outcome of the match. Overall, the decision to use a hybrid pitch for European finals is aimed at providing the best possible playing surface for the teams and ensuring that the matches are played at the highest level of quality and fairness. One would expect CAF to learn a thing or two from these finals if we really want to creat an opportunity for Africa to win the world cup because the world cup pitches are also hybrid pitches. AFCON need to be played on sustainable Hybrid pitches that can outlive the AFCON and showcase fairness between our refined Elite African players and our unrefined raw talents. It's easier for an unrefined footballer to adapt to a refined pitch in a short training section but its difficult for an elite player to adapt to an unrefined undulated pitch in short training section. The Remo Stars stadium hybrid synthetic pitch remain the best pitch for elite football in Nigeria. The Remo Stars stadium seating capacity might be too small for national team games but it can host all African elite Club side games with ease and even female national team games. Monimichelle.

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Why do Bayer 04 Leverkusen, TSG Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH, and VfL Wolfsburg have an exemption from the general team ownership rule of the Bundesliga International GmbH? ☑ Part 4 of our series exploring the team ownership and governance rules of professional sports leagues. Building on our previous analysis of governance frameworks of The Premier League, National Football League (NFL), and Major League Baseball (MLB) in the last 3 weeks, we will now turn our attention to Bundesliga International GmbH. Historically, Bundesliga ownership and #governance rules have safeguarded the democratic nature of #club governance and has contributed to maintaining lower #ticket prices and #financial stability within the league. Stay tuned to our page Sport+Stadia, as we continue to examine ownership and governance rules across various professional sports leagues like National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), LALIGA, Lega Serie A, Formula 1, to name a few, in the coming weeks! #SportsGovernance #SportsBusiness #PrivateEquity #TeamOwnership #SportsLeadership #StrategicManagement #Bundesliga #SportManagement #FootballBusiness

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We at Transfermarkt GmbH & Co. KG have updated the market values of 32 CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 players, including Canada Soccer stars Moïse Bombito, Jacob Shaffelburg, and Maxime Crépeau. Of note: We have only considered players who have improved their status significantly and/or have drawn international attention to themselves, which usually also leads to more interest in the transfer market. So, no downgrades! https://lnkd.in/gpdNFVmy

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Together with the Berchtesgadener Anzeiger, I talked about what the teams at the European Championship are coming up with to communicate with the players on the pitch despite the noise. You can find the link to the article below - it's a really interesting article. https://lnkd.in/e3cuJMEy

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