By Femi Solaja
Integral and Family & Football yesterday announced a new joint venture partnership focused on augmenting the level of football talent identification, development and management, on the African continent.
After almost a year of planning and working, Integral, one of the leading African sport management company, sealed this strategic alliance with one of the most prominent global football agencies, Family and Football.
Family & Football was founded by Dr. Erkut Sogut, a lawyer and registered FA intermediary, and has a foothold in many locations across the globe.
The agency came into prominence by negotiating one of the most lucrative player contracts in Premier League history for Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil whom it also represents.
The joint venture partnership is a landmark achievement for Integral’s football division and the experience of Family & Football will assist the company in providing quality, first class representation to the flood of football talent dotted all over Africa.
Earlier in the year, Integral hosted Dr. Erkut Sogut when he visited Nigeria with his close friend and associate Misha Sher, VP Sport & Entertainment at Mediacom, who played a crucial role in forming the relationship between both companies.
Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Erkut Sogut said, “Nigeria, Africa and Integral are strategic partner for us. We believe in their potential. And with Integral we will showcase African footballers in a different way because they deserve it.
“The continent deserves it. It has some of the best talents I have ever seen like Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and many more like them.
“But our ties extend beyond football. I am passionate about education and I see the quality of people here; desirous of learning, of leaving a positive impact in the world.
“So together (with Integral) we will support them with our work,” concludes Erkut.
On his part, the Managing Director of Integral, Abimbola Ilo, commented thus: “We are extremely excited to be working fully now with Erkut and his team, joining forces together to become an even more dominant force in football representation, management and player trading.
Importantly, the scope of the joint venture extends beyond just the representation side of things and involves education and charity too which are equally important to us,” the Integral boss concluded.
