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With the goal of taking travel management to the next level, ISL launches Futbol First, a.k.a FF, a global travel management company specialized in organizing worldwide experiences for soccer players, clubs, colleges and schools all over the globe.
MISSION
We want to inspire the next generation! We provide international soccer experiences focused on cultural exchange, education and healthy habits. We exist with the sole purpose of turning dreams into real opportunities!
VISION
We want to make an impact! If a student, a young player or a soccer institution is looking to experience a cultural exchange overseas where soccer is involved, we want to be the first obvious choice.
Global Leader in Soccer Educational Experiences
For over ten years, FF has forged an indisputable relationship with the biggest names in the soccer world. You know, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, LaLiga, Manchester City, Sporting Lisbon, PSG, Chelsea, Uk Football Association, US Futsal Federation and many others.
With the help of this exclusive network, we offer a distinctive experience to more than 10,000 players throughout the world. We are proud to say that since 2013 we’ve helped thousands of people to discover new places and cultures while developing their soccer skills.
We are true believers of traveling as a tool to make us better and help us in our self-development journey. For us, sports and discovering new cultures is just the perfect match!
“I feel really positive about launching FF. This will allow us to reach more clubs, colleges and soccer organizations worldwide. We want to become global leaders in cultural experiences through soccer and we are confident that FF will help us to achieve our goals” -Achille Obougou, Futbol First Director.
(Picture team isl travels without old logo)
Sub. Picture: Travel, learn, grow and play.
With Futbol First everything is possible… There are no limits!
Immerse yourself in a life changing experience by traveling and playing soccer all at once.
Wanna be part of this amazing community? Check out our website www.futbolfirst.com and join us!
Follow us on social media to stay up to date about our happenings! (link instagram)
After a forced two year break due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, ISL resumes its events and sports travelling activities to the UK. We are extremely excited to return to the home of soccer!
“We can finally return to the UK since this program offers different activities and experiences to our programs in Spain. I am very satisfied with the team’s great work, since October we have had 6 events during the toughest moments of the pandemic and the peak of the Omicron variant. That is not easy at all and it is due to the great work of the Experiences team.” – says Achille Obougou, Director of Travel Management.
Players and their families will join Team ISL on its return to the British Isles for an unforgettable nine-day experience visiting London and Manchester.
The players will train at Manchester City’s facilities with Manchester City´s official coaches and compete in friendlies against other teams. They will also train at West Ham´s training grounds for a day.
Players and families will enjoy exclusive tours of the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford in Manchester, as well as two Premier League games. They will be lucky enough to watch World Champions Chelsea take on Crystal Palace on Saturday and Manchester United battle Watford next weekend.
Outdoor and cultural activities are planned for players and families to explore these two soccer hungry cities. More exciting surprises await our guests and we can´t wait for you to arrive!
The ISL team has been working hard to offer better travel experiences, prioritizing the players’ and families’ safety at all times.
This season, ISL has 20 sport events lined up in 5 different locations.
Stay tuned for more information about our soccer experiences! @team_isl
LaLiga Select – LaLiga’s pathway in North America powered by ISL – will have a second edition next year, with Talent IDs in six new cities across the US.
Created by the best league in the world, LaLiga Select was launched early this year as the first official recruitment platform of LaLiga to scout youth talent in North America.
The platform provides young American soccer players, aged 13 to 18, the opportunity to showcase their talent and start a professional soccer career in a youth club from LaLiga.
This year’s Talent IDs and Showcases sold out in the US and Canada with thousands of players joining. The high demand drove ISL and LaLiga to open registrations for a second edition of LaLiga Select, adding 3 new cities to the Talent IDs roster: San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“After a very successful launch year, LaLiga Select will keep opening the doors of European soccer for American players, creating a quality reference in US soccer, while positioning Spain as an attractive market for young US players.” – says Alex Isern, ISL CEO.
In March 2022, the selected players from this year’s scouting events will attend a Showcase in Spain to train and compete under the supervision of different Technical Directors from LaLiga Youth Clubs. The best player from each age category will be recruited to participate in a sponsored training camp with a LaLiga Youth Club, and the Talent IDs will start again in June 2022.
“LaLiga Select aims to contribute to the development of young American talent, providing players an opportunity to showcase their talent, an experience that will step up their game, and ultimately, the chance to kick off their dream of becoming a professional soccer player and one day represent their country in the World Cup”,says Nicolás García Hemme, VP of Strategy & Business Development for LaLiga North America, “Our goal is to collaborate with local clubs to become their international recruitment arm and continue to add new locations every year in different American regions.”
“Soccer in the US is becoming a global referent in the production of talent; Dest, Puilisic, Musah, Tyler Adam, Reyna just to name a few. The common trait of all these American players is that they have an experience overseas. For that reason, we strongly believe that having an established path such as LaLiga Select will enable aspiring professional soccer players in the United States to achieve their dreams.”, explains Marc Segarra, ISL Co-founder.
Yesterday morning, the captain of FC Barcelona and Spain’s national team, passed by ISL’s Barcelona Soccer Experience training session to meet our players.
Busquets stopped at the Barcelona Soccer Experience training session to meet the 135 American players who travelled overseas to enjoy an unique soccer experience. It was a big surprise for all the young players, who were very excited to meet an international soccer star.
Just like them, Busquets had the dream to one day play for a club like Barça, and since 2005 he has been making his dream come true every day, step by step. From the Barça youth teams, to the first team, to wearing the blaugrana Captain armband. His perseverance, commitment and hard work are inspirational for all the young generations.
Sergio took the time to take a picture with each player and encourage them to keep pursuing their professional soccer careers.
The Barcelona Soccer Experience is a program developed by ISL to provide a professional and international soccer experience that players can’t have access to in the US. As the places are limited, the scouting process is made in collaboration with Barça Academy US, reaching players from all across the country.
The program offers American players and their families an exclusive and unique soccer experience in Barcelona, combining training sessions with official Barça Academy coaches, and competition matches against other Spanish teams. It also includes cultural guided excursions, an exclusive Camp Nou tour, Barça home matches, and many surprises!
For more information about The Barcelona Soccer Experience check https://islagencyold.wpenginepowered.com/travel/
It all started in 2015 with 5 cities (Raleigh, Charlotte, Richmond, Cincinnati and Louisville).
Alex Isern and Marc Segarra – ISL’s CEO and ISL’s Managing Partner – closed a deal with FC Barcelona to manage official Barça Soccer Academies and Camps in the United States.
The main goal was to expand the FC Barcelona brand, values and methodology in the US, while captivating and developing young talent.
Eight years later, we may say this goal was not only achieved but very much exceeded by ISL.
The Barça Academies receive thousands of players for a year round program, and the Barça Camps create a true lifetime experience where young players train like FC Barcelona stars for a week.
The numbers speak for themselves: more than 35.000 American players have participated in ISL’s Barça Academy Soccer Camp program over the last 7 years.
“We are opening Barça Camps registrations for the 8th time and we are as excited as we were 8 year ago. We have learned a lot along the way and we want to keep giving an amazing and truly unique experience to all the players and families.”- says Albert Balsells, ISL’s Director of Barça Academy Soccer Camps.
This year, ISL is also improving the experience with even more official Barça coaches, the latest training routines from FC Barcelona and new host cities – Los Angeles and Peachtree City are now part of the Barça Camps roster!
In 2022, a total of 37 cities in more than 20 different states will welcome young players aged 6 to 17 for an unforgettable Summer camp experience!
Players will not only train and play under the Barça methodology, they will also have the chance to be selected for a Soccer Experience in Barcelona to train at Barça facilities, go to FC Barcelona matches, visit Camp Nou, explore Barcelona, and play against other Spanish teams.
Barça Academy Soccer Camps kick off on June 13th and end on July 29th, 2022.
Find more information and register here!
Today, at the Ciudad Deportiva de Valdebebas, the American players participating in ISL’s Madrid Soccer Experience were surprised by the visit of Real Madrid star Lucas Vázquez!
It was a day to remember for the 43 young American players that travelled with ISL to participate in an intensive and exciting soccer experience in Madrid.
Little did they know that after their first training session they were going to meet a professional soccer player from one of the best clubs in the world.
Lucas Vázquez, who also plays for Spain’s national team, arrived with a big smile and took a picture with each player and staff member, while sharing words of encouragement.
With an enviable career, Lucas is a reference for these young kids who share one common dream: to play for a team like Real Madrid.
The Madrid Soccer Experience program offers American players and their families an exclusive and unique soccer experience in Madrid, combining training sessions with matches against other Spanish teams, and guided cultural visits to explore the city.
The experience also includes Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid LaLiga matches, as well as exclusive tours of both clubs’ stadiums – Santiago Bernabéu and Wanda Metropolitano.
In addition, the ISL team makes sure to always prepare something to surprise the players and make their experience even more unforgettable!
Learn more about ISL Experiences and follow us on Instagram! @team_isl
November was a busy month for ISL!
In addition to opening registrations for the 8th Barça Academy Soccer Camps, a program developed with FC Barcelona and Barça Academy, ISL organized three simultaneous soccer events with over 1.000 American young players.
On the weekend of November 20th, ISL kicked off the LaLiga Select Talent ID in New York, the Madrid Soccer Experience and the Barcelona Soccer Experience.
LaLiga Select is LaLiga’s first and only official recruitment program in the US, created, developed and managed exclusively by ISL. Previous Talent IDs have taken place this year in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Canada. LaLiga Select also hosted several Showcases around the US in collaboration with local tournaments and soccer entities.
The selected players from the Talent IDs and the Showcases will be invited for a Showcase in Madrid, where they will be trained and watched by different LaLiga clubs, with the chance of being chosen to participate in a training camp from a LaLiga club.
The Madrid and Barcelona soccer experiences offer young players the chance to live a unique soccer week overseas, training with official coaches in the facilities of Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona. In addition, ISL organizes surprise visits of professional football players to the training sessions of the experieciences – this time, Lucas Vázquez from Real Madrid, and Sergio Busquets from FC Barcelona, came to meet and greet the players and took a picture with each one of them.
These experiences also include several matches against Spanish teams, exclusive stadium tours, guided cultural visits of Madrid and Barcelona, and live matches of all 3 clubs. The “mise en scene” of 3 events of this magnitude in 3 main cities takes years of expertise, as well as the deployment of dedicated teams both on the field and behind the scenes, making sure everything goes according to plan.
In total, more than 1.000 young American players participated in the events, with over 150 coaches and more than 100 staff members. The three events were planned and developed by the ISl team with months of anticipation, in collaboration with LaLiga and LaLiga Academies, FC Barcelona and Barça Academies, Real Madrid, and Atlético de Madrid.
ISL is proud to actively contribute to the development of soccer in the US, by organizing events that offer players unique training and competition opportunities, and give them the chance of traveling overseas and get to know some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Last Tuesday, FC Barcelona player Eric García joined ISL staff and players in the Barcelona Soccer Experience training session at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
It was a surprise for the young American players, who were thrilled to meet the FC Barcelona star!
Just like them, Eric García comes from the Barça schools and his trajectory is an inspiration for the young generations who aspire to become professional soccer players.
The 20-year-old centre back posed for photos with the youngsters and also got the chance to say a few words to them, encouraging them to continue playing the sport and work hard to get better every day.
The visit happened during a training session of the Barcelona Soccer Experience, a program developed by ISL Experience.
This program offers American players and their families an exclusive and unique soccer experience in Barcelona, combining training sessions, competition, cultural visits, a Camp Nou tour, a Barça match, and many surprises!
Stay Tuned! @team_isl
On the Grill: Pol Solé
The US Men’s National Team has recently beaten Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF GOLD CUP FINAL becoming the new soccer Champion of North and Central America.
With a sports history mostly famous for American Football, Baseball, Basketball and Ice Hockey, the US are emerging as a new soccer talent pool with several American players already playing in some of the biggest clubs in the world, such as Christian Pulisic in Chelsea FC, Sergiño Dest with FC Barcelona or Yunus Musah with Valencia CF.
Pol Solé, the ISL director of LaLiga’s first and oficial soccer recruitment program in the US – LaLiga Select – shared with us his feedback from the LaLiga select Talent IDs and Showcases held this Summer across the country.
Pol Solé: As of today, soccer is one of the biggest sports in the US and is the most played among young people. If you get your car and drive across the country, you will run into thousands of soccer fields with kids playing soccer. I have lived in the US for 6 years and I have seen a huge growth in both quantity and quality of soccer players.
Pol Solé: Yes, absolutely. Soccer has been growing exponentially over the past 5-10 years. In my opinion this growth is due to three different factors:
First, the arrival of European soccer stars to the MLS such as Beckham, Henry, Villa, Zlatan, and many more. The American soccer league and teams were followed and supported by many more people around the world.
The second factor is a consequence of the first one. Having more stars in the MLS, brings sponsors and TV rights. If you only display basketball and football games on TV, it will be very difficult for a kid to be engaged and involved in soccer. However, if the kid turns on the TV and there is a soccer game from his local team, he might watch it and get a better understanding of the game.
Last but not least, the success of the US Women’s National Soccer Team. The United States is one of the very few countries in the world where the amount of boys and girls playing soccer is very similar. Having a role model like Alex Morgan or Megan Rapinoe makes girls dream of becoming a professional soccer player and competing for the National Team.
Pol Solé: LaLiga Select is the official LaLiga recruitment pathway in the US. After launching at the beginning of this year, the program has captured the attention of youth soccer in North America, expanding the program to several showcases and Talent IDs across the country. It is a great opportunity for young players aspiring to become professionals to test out their level and skills among other great players and be selected to participate in a Showcase Talent in Spain in front of Technical Directors from LaLiga Clubs.The players can then be recruited by the LaLiga Clubs to kick off their professional careers.
Pol Solé: The first LaLiga Select own events took place over the past months in Texas, with hundreds of young American players attending the Talent IDs in Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas, and widely expressing on social media their positive feedback and enthusiasm about this unique experience. I was very impressed with the talent and hardwork of these young players. They were very focused on every session and that is a reflection of their goal: become professional soccer players.
On the other hand, we attended several Showcases in the US from our club partners and they were also a big success. We attended those events with LaLiga Scouts to identify talent and bring them to Spain for a Talent Showcase alongside the selected players from the Talent IDs. One of the best things from the Showcases was to see the players in action competing and showing their skills. As I said, every year soccer is growing and the level is higher so it is more fun to watch.
Pol Solé: Yes, definitely. As soccer grows in the US, more outstanding players emerge and seek for opportunities in Europe. Also, clubs know the US is a big market and having American players in their squads will give them popularity and increase their brand awareness in the US. There are many kids that do not follow teams, they follow players. So, for instance, now that Pulisic is at Chelsea FC, all the fans now follow Pulisic’s club instead of Borussia Dortmund (Pulisic’s previous club).
Pol Solé: Yes, I think they can be one of the best. The US has the resources and the population to make it happen. However, nowadays I think the US is still far from countries like Brazil, France or Spain where the main sport is soccer and every single kid in the street knows how to play. In Spain we breathe, live and sleep soccer.
Pol Solé: I am excited to see how the USMNT performs at the World Cup. This one will be very different from the past ones, I am intrigued by how the weather and the dates will affect the players. The World Cup has never been done in the middle of the season so it will be tricky for the clubs. My prognosis is that the USMNT will qualify and advance the group stages and will lose at the round of 16.
Joan Ocon, Director of Tandhem Representation Agency, explained to us the complexity of the soccer representation sector, the impact of COVID-19 , and the secrets to succeed as a Sports Agent.
Many dream of entering the soccer world as Player Agents. No early morning practices, best seats to the matches and millionaire commissions. Sounds like a dream job, doesn’t it?
That is only what you see on television, but behind it there is a job in which you do not rest, that you live far from your family and friends and from which you never disconnect. If you are able to assume these three concepts, you can take the first step. But only the first.
Can you explain what is really going on behind the scenes in one of the most competitive jobs in the sports industry?
As I said, this job demands a lot from you. Don’t let your guard down. The competition is fierce and if you want to survive, you must demand yourself the maximum every day. There are no schedules, there are no excuses, and there is no rest. You have to differentiate between two worlds. The formative and the professional. Both have really the same operations on a day-to-day basis but with a greater tension in the professional world.
You are the director of Tandhem, a Representation Agency, but you are also a lawyer. Why did you choose to enter the business of soccer representation/player management?
The question that everyone asks me. There was a time in my career as a lawyer when I realized that I was not born to sit in a chair for hours. I love law and I love sports, so I studied sports law, and thus step by step I entered this world.
Now that you are a Player Agent, does the reality correspond to your expectations? Why?
Although I am an agent, when asked, I always answer that I am a lawyer. It is something that has cost me years of dedication and that is part of my personal stamp in this profession.
What is the biggest challenge you face in your job?
To mark with my work team a style, a unique way of working and a unique philosophy. There are many representation agencies, therefore you have to seek excellence and make a difference. Tandhem has its own style and we must maintain it and enhance it day by day, that is the biggest challenge.
What is the biggest reward of being a Player Agent?
Work together with your player and achieve what we both have set out to do. It sounds easy, but it is not, because there are infinite risk factors. Gladly, I manage to achieve every goal I set with a player by working for it day by day.
What is the importance of press and social media in this business?
Today, it is key. Who does not know you, judges you by your social networks. Maybe before this didn’t happen, but now social media plays a leading role. Luckily, in our company we have a wonderful team of experts to help us and our players.
How did COVID-19 impact the players’ contracts and the transfer market in 2020?
The market is stopped. It should be borne in mind that the football market did not suffer the crisis of 2008, and that it has registered growth year after year until the Covid has stopped it. Salaries have also gone down and the disbursement for player transactions has been reduced by 70%, according to the information published by sports media outlet Palco 23.
Has player management changed with COVID-19?
There is a very important human factor in this work. If human relationships have been cut or reduced, that has affected work. Now it seems that we can travel more and meet with caution, hopefully we continue like this. It is very difficult to convince clubs and sports directors through a virtual meeting. Some clubs have also modified their methodology, replacing scouting travels by players’ data analysis to choose the new players. It is the first time in the soccer industry that clubs have given big data a leading role in recruiting players.
Do you get personally attached to the players or is it just business?
I do not like to give clues of what our style is. But in our case, the personal relationship with the player is key in our work. It is a business, yes, but the business is made up of people, we cannot treat players like trading cards. For us, they are our family. This is how we feel it and this is how they feel it.
What are your top 3 success rules?
Honesty, professionalism and ambition.
What is your best advice for someone who dreams of being a Player Agent?
It seems like a cliché, but in that profession I consider it essential. I would tell him not to give up. When you start and are small, there are many obstacles and everything seems to be a problem. Not giving up and being persistent is key.
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