I have a friend who plays college soccer here in the US, he plays for a really good school with a full scholarship but he wants to try his luck in europe, a team in italy could be nice, even if is an small team. How do I find an italian agent to send him his video? Any info would be appreciated. Take care.
First of all, its really tough in Italy. Many players go there thinking its a cake but it isn't the case. I observed Fiorentina when they were relegated to the 4th division or C2 in 2002/2003 and I must say the quality of play on the pitch was better than any MLS game I have see in a while. I'm not saying MLS is easy because it is not but its a different type of league. In Europe when you make a mistake there is always someone else who steps in and covers your position. That is not going to happen here on the college, USL or MLS level. You have 1-2 maybe 3 players who are good as LAndy Donavon says but the rest are no good or at least not as good as Europeans players. In Europe and especially in Italy, its another story. Also, having a passport and speaking the language is an almost must because w/out those things, a college level US player will have a tough time....
i think he has the level and the size, i mean he is not the biggest or ronaldinho but he is got some street game going on and he is about 5 11" what i think is that he feels like he knows he is gone end up in mls, in fact he rejected already offers from mexican clubs and he also was not happy with what an mls team was offering him so he decided to go with a full ride to college mostly bc of the pressure of his dad. now, with one year in college, he is kind of realizing that the college game is really slow and he think he is got the skills to try his luck in europe. i cant tell you that he is gone go and be a magico gonzalez but he is def got some skills. i think is great that already has the idea of going to europe, bc staying in mls could be an slow process and players with the street skills that he has would be much better of in spain or maybe even italy. like i told you, i cant guarantee you that the kid is going to be the next messi or the next hugo sanchez but he is got some skills. on my personal experience. i went to try out for 2 pdls teams when i was 22. my strong was my street game but still lacked a couple of basic of soccer. at the end, one pdl coach told me to keep training with them but they could not offer me a contract, they wanted to see more and they though i was gone be good for the future. the other one didnt even pay attention to me bc when i tried out for them it was like 200 college kids kicking the ball from side to side, pure long ball and it was so hard to play like that. im supporting the kid bc he is about 19 and he has not money, and if i ever had the chance to go to europe at that age i would have gone... i honestly though american soccer was a waste of time. thanks for the feedback and if anybody knows anything about an italian agent from an small club, let me know.
Most Italian teams have soccer schools for kids and teenagers. I suggest he find a place he wants to live first and then check the local teams and get a try-out. http://www.juvesoccerschool.com/Interface/Home.aspx
Don't they usually scout these type of players very young? I'm not trying to be an ass, but yes, it'd be very tough, some very good US talent will get signed but never played, some people even argue there is a prejudice in parts of Europe against developing Americans, so they let them rot on the bench, is that true? I'm not sure But a lot of pundits will basically say if you're serious about a career in soccer, you're already wasting time if you go to college, and that going to Europe where you'll find better coaching and what not is the way to go, but it starts at a young age
Well the kid is hispanic, the son of a salvadoran immigrant, he grew up in the ghettos of los angeles playing pure futbol. is not as easy as you make it sound when you are the son of an immigrant, your dad and your mom dont have that much money to pay for your try outs and trips to europe or south america. most of these kids usually get help on premier teams or the galaxy or chivas usa academy, some make it to mls but most end up working once they are done with high school if they finish it. like i say i will try to help him as much as i can but he does not make it im sure he will help his younger friends, i know one of them is already in germany, who knows how he is doing out there but im telling you, this kids are not joke, they can ball, but some of them just dont have the chance or the money to make things happend. mostly bc they dont know whats up.
Out of all of the Italian-Americans & Italo-Canadians that I have known over the years who had wanted to sign in Italy, I've known none that actually signed and played. A few Italo-Aussies , an Italo-German maybe an Italo-Swiss Di Matteo, Ciriaco Sforza, Italo -Beligum Enzo Scifo have only made in Italy for a short period of time. The majority have not. In essence, even if they are good enough, the prejudice that exists in Italian soccer when it comes to US & Canada..... is incredible and clubs just will not sign them.
Maybe I'm writing a stupid thing, but as far as I remember teams from lower leagues can't sign player with non EU passport, but I'm no sure about this thing
It could easily be that I'm wrong. I'm looking for some links with the whole rules about player transfers in Italy, but until now I found nothing.
Conditions in Serie B C & C2 are not all that great. There is not much difference in the levels of play and the salaries unless you are with a big club with higher ambitions IE Fiorentina, Como , Atalanta, Napoli & Genoa who go up and down are not all that great. As far as a player picking NCAA soccer and playing in the lower levels of Italy, if I were that age, I'd pick school. The level of play is much better than USA college soccer which is not great but at least they are licving for free and getting an education and having a life which will not happen playing in Serie C or B. Their skills will get better but if they get injured........well its not a great life.....
how much money do i need to go Italy to meet different agents and club people? I have in mind to visit spain but italy could be interesting too. Once i get my degree and a descent job I gone try to help street futbol players to Europe, or to other parts of the world where they can play soccer at the highest level and that way they can live a better life. I gone have to find all the information, I think traveling to both countries would be just great, like I say I grew up playing street and club futbol and if ever had the chance to go to try out even to an small team in europe I would have done it. Im not really interested in England or other countries bc I think the culture is too different and the soccer they play is not really attractive... not trying to mix the concept of "latin" and "latinos" are the same, I already know what most spanish and europeans think of the word "latino" but I think when you are good at something, race stays out of the way. I have been around the soccer fields with blacks, whites, asians and even arabs... the best futbolistas always come together and shake hands at the end of the game... Thanks for the info.
I moved to Firenze to try to pursue playing professionaly, and I ran into a lot of barriers, it was basically impossible. I was not even able to officially join a team due to not having Italian citizenship.
Here you find a Players' Agents List (listed by country).You can choose the country that you prefer (strangely there is not USA...).Good luck ...buena suerte. http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/list.html
I lived and worked in Firenze and I know where you are coming from. I knew the language and had a place to live and still coming from California, it was tough. For players , I'm sure its even tougher.
Visto che mi hai chiamato ti rispondo.Spero non ti dispiaccia se scrivo in italiano ma mi fa troppo male la testa per scrivere in inglese. 1) non fare l errore di pensare :"gioco negli usa ,quindi nessun club europeo mi vedrà mai" 2) crescita step by step ,ok? sai quanti giocatori nella mia area ho visto ...diciamo circa 2000? sai quanti sono riusciti a saltare da una squadra di serie z ad un top team? uno solo si chiamava Gattuso,tutti gli altri sono cresciuti step by step squadra di 3 divisione, squadra di 2 divisione...etc etc .Squadra di college ,Mls, Europe,e so on. 3)ci sono allenatori e preparatori bravi anche negli Usa , Messico , Canada...dagli un po' di fiducia ,non pensare che sono tutti ritardati. 4) siccome mi fa male la testa ti do qualche indicazione su quali squadre scegliere li.Ci sono altre squadre minori che hanno contatti con l europa ma ti indichero solo le principali.(Giusto per smentire il punto 1). USA (the freccia means dove le squadre hanno principalmente contatti) NY RedBull--->Spain ,Nederland,England KC Wizards--->England Houston Dynamo--->Germany,England Chicago Fire ---> Nederland,England Chivas Usa---> Belgium,England NE Revolution--->England,Denmark Dallas (non ricordo il nome della squadra)--> Norway Colorado Rapids--->England DC United ---> Sweden Canada TFC---> Scotland Messico Chivas Guadalajara--->England,Nederland Atlas Guadalajara----> Spain Unam--->Scotland,England,Nederland il tuo amico se è cosi forte prima o poi verrà fuori
ti sei dimenticato di una squadre molto importante che ha vinto 3 trofei in 9 anni..... San Jose Earthquakes--->England