2023-08-16 15:10:33
“Come to Barcelona, we have to talk.” I’m not at all late Anderson Luis de Souza, Deco, in managing the trip. Out of curiosity and the caller. He was the president of FC Barcelona, one of the clubs he played for. He was John Laporta, something more than the maximum leader of the institution. An old friend.
What Deco and Laporta had to talk about was their second signing for Barça 19 years later. Despite the time that has elapsed, he has endured the umbilical thread of the relationship between that Brazilian midfielder, a Portuguese national, who had been European champion with Porto and was going to be with Barça in 2006. A relevant piece in that club that threw to roll with the virtuous circle in 2003, in which Ronaldinho was the banner and which melted into the dark Barcelona night.
With Mendes, in front of Mendes
He signed Deco in exchange for 15 million plus 6 million in which Quaresma was valued, who returned to Porto a year after joining the Camp Nou, then advised by Jorge Mendes, who has also reappeared in Barcelona. Deco began in the world of player representation with Mendes, his lifelong agent who led him to Porto, Barça, Chelsea -he paid 10 million for him in 2008, outside of Pep Guardiola’s plans-, until closing his career in the Fluminense with 36 years (2013) and 23 titles in the record.
He continued with Mendes at Gestifute, but then to learn to be an agent. Deco, born in Sao Bernardo do Campo on August 27, 1977, settled in indaiatuba, also in the state of Sao Paulo, to direct his foundation while he was a scout as a delegate of the Mendes company. He also has a house and business in Porto. When he felt able to fly solo, he founded his own agency, D20 Sports, from which he has disassociated himself to be the head of football at Barça, whatever the name that will appear on the business cards.
transfer of portfolios
That is one of the issues that he must deal with Laporta, who had elevated him to the only option to replace Mateu Alemany, the former top soccer executive who, now, will leave the entity. Although the president wants him to be “el nuevo Txiki Begiristain”, the technical secretary at the time when Deco was signed. Xavi, one of his teammates from that squad, is the coach and also blesses the reunion after, also, having held several talks.
Deco already has a couple of solid offers to transfer its player portfolio, eclectic, with players spread across Germany, France, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Japan and, of course, Brazil and Portugal. When he had doubts, he always consulted with Luiz Felipe Scolari, the coach who trusted him the most.
Sitting at the table
That was not the original reason for the call, but Barça’s proposal to return, of which he learned in advance from Mendes, and with whom he will now deal from the other side of the table.
Mendes is a key piece in the remodeling of the squad. Namely: he is the agent of Ansu Fati, that it could still be pierced; that of Alejandro Balde and that of Yamine Lamal, the cadet who should sign his first professional contract.
it is also of Joao Cancelo, a right side like the one Barça is looking for. The delicate border of crossed interests, with the presence of Alejandro Echevarría in the first informal meetings in Barcelona, it is drawn diffuse.
Help with Raphinha
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But Deco has a certain prestige in the sector. For his certainty in his football opinions -he stood out as an analyst during the World Cup in Russia on a Brazilian television-, for the criteria in the elections and offers he has made as an agent -he does not place mediocrities- and for the seriousness in the efforts, for the moment without any pufo that stains the file. Neither in Brazil nor in Portugal.
From the Barça perspective, the help he provided in the signing of Raphinha the previous season. And he returns guaranteed, in addition, by the personal trust of Laporta in a relationship of almost 20 years. The president went in 2005 to the Deco’s second wedding where he coincided with Sandro Rosell, recently resigned from Barça, held twice in Porto and Bahia. With the three couples that have met, the former soccer player already has the large family that he wanted with five children, one of his vital goals.
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