Énio Melim’s Post

🇵🇹Portugal stands out once again as a powerhouse in developing talent in world football. The recent study by @CIES Football, which places Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Sporting Clube de Portugal in the Top 10 of the clubs that train the most players for the 49 best leagues in the world, highlights the impact of Portuguese football and the value of a well-structured base, combined with scouting of excellence. 🔝The presence of two Portuguese clubs in the world ranking reflects the success not only of the training methods, but also of the scouting network that identifies and monitors young promises with the potential to evolve at the highest level. An effective scouting system is essential to feed academies like those of Sport Lisboa e Benfica Sporting Clube de Portugal, FC Porto, SC Braga etc, which are able to leverage raw talent and prepare it for the challenges of the main international leagues. 🌍 This prominent position shows that Portugal is not only a gateway to European leagues, but also a global reference in training high-level athletes. With 94 players from Sport Lisboa e Benfica and 84 from Sporting Clube de Portugal spread across the world, both clubs contribute to Portuguese football's reputation for quality and competence. Furthermore, investment in scouting and training creates a lasting impact, strengthening national football and generating opportunities for young talents who aspire to international success. 🔎https://lnkd.in/d-eEfX-V #Football #YouthAcademy #PlayerDevelopment #Scouting #FootballScouting #TalentID #PortugueseFootball #SLBenfica #SportingCP #CIESReport #FootballIndustry Liga Portugal

A fairer way to rank Olympics success – and it’s not per capita When it comes to the Olympic Games, New Zealand punches far above its weight. A recent paper in a scholarly journal by Robert Duncan and Andrew Parece makes this point by developing a new ranking method. Duncan and Parece conclude by drawing attention to three countries that rank among the top ten in the 2020, 2016 and 2012 Games, using either a per-capita approach or a probability ranking approach. These are New Zealand, Hungary and Jamaica. This is true for NZ in 2024 also. NZ ranks among the top 10 both using the per capita approach and Duncan-Parece approach. (Incidentally, I corresponded with Andrew Parece and he said, as noted in the paper, that it was Pete Pfitzinger of Athletics NZ who encouraged them to develop this ranking.) Check out my column in Newsroom if interested. https://lnkd.in/ggzGmVTv Andy Parece

#LetsKickOff Over the years, Portugal has consistently produced world-class talent in the football world: Mario Coluna, Rui Costa, Deco, Pepe, Paulo Futre, Ricardo Carvalho, Nani, all this without even mentioning the Ballon’Dor winners, Eusebio, Figo, and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo. Solely in between the last three there are 7 Champions League titles, 6 Golden Boots and 7 BalonsD’or. But in this modern football era, Portugal has become an absolute talent gold mine, even more than what it used to be. Over the last 10 years, Portuguese football academies like SL Benfica, Sporting CP and FC Porto have been producing world-class players at a scale never seen before. As of the 2024-2025 season, more than half of the top football clubs in the world have at least one Portuguese player in their squad. This is the result of the Portuguese investment made in youth football, and of the understanding of the perfect formula in the art that is producing football players. The expectation is that the pace of football stars production continues, and that players like João Felix, Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, João Cancelo and João Neves keep coming out of Portuguese academies. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@noblecapital.pt or visit our website at https://noblecapital.pt. #Portugal #GoldenVisa #Citizenship #Investment #Football #YouthDevelopment #FootballAcademies

⚽ Competition and Sport: 4,2 m. fine to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for abuse of dominant position. 📣The FIGC abused its dominant position in the market for the organisation of competitive youth #football competitions in order to exclude the Sports Promotion Bodies (Enti di Promozione Sportiva) and restrict their activity in the area of amateur football competitions. 🚫The AGCM fined the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) a total amount of more than EUR 4 million (EUR 4,203,447.54). 🔹 The Authority has in fact ascertained that the FIGC has adopted, at least since 1 July 2015, a complex strategy of exclusions to strengthen its dominant position in the organisation of competitive youth football competitions and to extend it also to the amateur-football market, in which it operates in competition with the Enti di Promozione Sportiva (EPS). 🔹 The abusive strategy was employed first and foremost through the FIGC’s failure to conclude the agreements required by the Coni EPS Regulations (2014) for the conduct of competitive activities. This allowed the FIGC to preclude the EPS from accessing the market for the organisation of competitive events, thus guaranteeing itself a substantial monopoly position. 🔹 Secondly, the FIGC used its regulatory power in an instrumental manner, illegitimately considering as competitive the amateur activities carried out by the EPS with athletes between 12 and 17 years of age. In addition, it also imposed for athletes up to 12 years of age (by definition not included in competitive activities) the agreement between the FIGC and the EPS and the pre-authorisation of the event, thus limiting the freedom of Amateur Sports Associations affiliated to the FIGC and their athletes with dual membership to participate in tournaments organised by the EPS. This has reduced the ability of the EPS to exert sufficient competitive pressure on the FIGC, hindering and/or weakening competition in the market for the organisation of recreational events. #competitionlaw #agcm #dominantposition #football #sport press release 🔗https://lnkd.in/dJYS7p7q

Given that it's the second-largest team game in Britain in terms of participation, I often describe #Basketball as the sport in the #UK with the most upside commercial potential. The lack of funding for GB Basketball since the 2012 #London #Olympics has been well documented. There has been a recent uplift to £1,350,000 for the #Paris Olympic Cycle from UK Sport. However, if you compare that to #Cycling, as the top-funded sport at £28,855,762 , or to a more niched (dare I say elitist?) sport such as #Sailing which receives £22,660,520, #Basketball is well down the priority list. Given participation levels and the sport's ability to attract such diverse and in many cases underserved demographics, this seems ludicrous. I appreciate the distribution of lottery-funded #UKSport money has many challenges and requires complex and difficult decision-making, but it's true to say at present, #Basketball just does not fit the #UK's current #Olympic medal-driven funding model and the sport does not get the central financing it truly warrants. I am a bit of a #PrivateEquity in sports skeptic, from experience in other sports such as #Rugby, but the cash injection and general support 777 Partners have brought to the British Basketball League, and its leading team the London Lions, although not without challenges, is having a positive effect on lifting the #performance, #profile, and #audience of the sport in the #UK. Already the dominant force in the domestic #BBL, the performance of the Lions in Europe, in particular their Women, who became the first English team to win a major European trophy by beating #Besiktas 81-70 last night in Stratford, to take the Women’s #EuroCup (149-145 on aggregate), sent out a statement to the rest of European basketball that the British are coming! #UKSport #GBBasketball #LondonLions #WomensSport #EuroLeague FIBA National Basketball Association (NBA) Euroleague Basketball Beşiktaş JK

#FIFAMasterAlumni - Where are they now?  Francesca Ingletto #Italy  – 21st Edition – Legal Counsel, VW Volleyball World SA 👉 https://lnkd.in/ebWcUTT7 “I was fortunate to join Volleyball World soon after graduating from the FIFA Master. The opportunity immediately caught my attention given the unique features, great potential and ambitious mission of the project. Volleyball World is a partnership created in 2021 by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball - FIVB and CVC Capital Partners (world leader in private equity and credit) with the aim to accelerate the growth of volleyball and beach volleyball, and also to unlock its commercial potential for reinvestment into the sport, within an apolitical and performance-driven environment.” 🥇FIFA MASTER 25TH EDITION: APPLY NOW (LAST FEW DAYS REMAINING!) 👉 https://lnkd.in/eWybqrU8 Please note that the deadline for applying to the 25th Edition (2024-2025) of the FIFA Master is midday (12pm) Central European Time (CET) on Friday, 12 January 2024 . The FIFA Master - International MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport was recently ranked as the #1 Postgraduate Sport Management course in Europe for a record eleventh time in the new influential 2023 SportBusiness Postgradute rankings. CIES - Centre International d'Etude du Sport , De Montfort University, SDA Bocconi , Université de Neuchâtel, FIFA Master Alumni Association   #CIESEducation #dmu #sdabocconi #unine #sports #sportmanagement #sportlaw #sporthumanities #ethics #diversity #leadership #sportbusiness #genderequality

8 Nigerian Athletes Who Won Medals For Other Countries At the Paris 2024 Olympics At the just concluded #Paris2024 Olympics, several female athletes of Nigerian descent who were representing other countries shown bright at the tournament both individually and as a team. From shotput to basketball and the relay teams, these individuals won medals with some making history thereby highlighting Nigeria’s rich talent. Here are eight female athletes of Nigerian descent who won medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. https://lnkd.in/d9CupxhZ

Australian high performance athletes, coaches and staff are being invited to have their say on reducing inequality and increasing opportunity in Para-sport through an online survey. The Understanding Barriers to Entry and Progression in the Paralympic Pathway Survey has been designed to capture the perspectives of both Para and able athletes and role holders that support Para sports. Facilitated by the Australian Sports Commission and Paralympics Australia, the survey is part of a key commitment of Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy to reduce inequity of opportunity for Para athletes and create an environment that allows them to make the most of their talents. https://lnkd.in/guWC-BqM

Springboks, South Africa Rugby Near $75M Ackerley Investment! The South African Rugby Union (SARU), the governing body of the Springboks national team, is close to a deal for a $75 million investment from Ackerley Sports Group. The Springboks are a four-time world champion and are currently the No. 1-ranked national rugby team in the world. The deal is on track to close in May but still needs approval from SARU members. Ackerley will invest in a new business venture that will hold all current and future revenue-generating assets of the Springboks and SARU. The goal is to expand sponsorship, broadcasting, content and match-day revenue. SARU’s share of the proceeds will fund the costs of running the amateur game in South Africa. SARU had previously held talks with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners about an investment. SARU will be the majority owner of the new entity, while ASG holds a roughly 20% stake. The post-money valuation on the deal is $375 million, according to someone familiar with the transaction. ASG would not comment on specific deal terms. In 2022, SARU posted revenue of 1.54 billion rand ($82 million in current exchange rates). The agreement is similar to the 2022 investment from private equity firm Silver Lake into New Zealand Rugby, which operates the All Blacks national team. That called for new company with commercial rights that Silver Lake invested up to $200 million for a stake between 5.7% and 8.6% of New Zealand Rugby. “When we think about the two most storied teams in the world today, we see that as the All Blacks and the Springboks,” Chris Ackerley said in a phone interview. “To work with SARU to bring this brand to the next level globally is an incredible opportunity.” Ackerley is structuring a special purpose vehicle for the investment and will raise outside capital. The SPV name, Win By One, is a nod to the Springboks’ 2023 World Cup run that included wins in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final by one point each time. #rugby #privateequity https://lnkd.in/d_n-9jRt

👻 We have a long way to go before we can dream of winning few gold medals consistently in every olympics. ☠️ Same old rotten reasons - facilities, support, infrastructure and finally lack of player mindset to seal the medal in final critical moments. 😳 Continued political interference and lack of transparency in way sports events are conducted in the country. No single national level authority governing all sports nationally. 🤓 Regional favouritism, corruption and lack of accountability. 😱 Poor funding - peanuts compared to top sporting nations like China & US. 🥁 The reality is that we are not a sporting nation. There is a huge difference between being a sporting nation and playing sports for the sake of passion. The former is well oiled machine manufacturing champions while latter is triumph of individual over system and intense competition. Unless we take things seriously and make drastic changes to the way we operate we can continue dreaming olympic after olympic. Nothing is going to change.