Article: Football agents from the perspective of their clients: services, service evaluation, and factors that create satisfaction Journal: International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing (IJSMM) 2022 Vol.22 No.5/6 pp.361 - 384 Abstract: The article analyses players' satisfaction with their football agents and factors that influence differences in level of satisfaction. To analyse the performance relationship between player and agent, their relationship is based on the principal-agent theory. The explorative study includes a dataset from professional German football players (n = 336). A logistic regression model was used to determine relevant factors influencing differences in a player's satisfaction with an agent. Across all leagues, agents generally perform 'classic' transfer and contract-related tasks. It is less common for agents to be delegated tasks requiring expert knowledge in areas such as taxation. Players' level of satisfaction with their agents appears to be rather ambivalent. However, this is significantly influenced by implicit and explicit factors, such as the scope of services and a personal relationship or screening agents in advance, respectively. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Football agents from the perspective of their clients: services, service evaluation, and factors that create satisfaction

Authors: Andreas Gohritz; Gregor Hovemann; Peter Ehnold

Addresses: Department of Sports Economics and Sports Sociology, IST-University of Applied Science, Düsseldorf, Germany ' Department of Sport Economics and Sport Management, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany ' Department of Sports Economics and Sports Sociology, IST-University of Applied Science, Düsseldorf, Germany

Abstract: The article analyses players' satisfaction with their football agents and factors that influence differences in level of satisfaction. To analyse the performance relationship between player and agent, their relationship is based on the principal-agent theory. The explorative study includes a dataset from professional German football players (n = 336). A logistic regression model was used to determine relevant factors influencing differences in a player's satisfaction with an agent. Across all leagues, agents generally perform 'classic' transfer and contract-related tasks. It is less common for agents to be delegated tasks requiring expert knowledge in areas such as taxation. Players' level of satisfaction with their agents appears to be rather ambivalent. However, this is significantly influenced by implicit and explicit factors, such as the scope of services and a personal relationship or screening agents in advance, respectively.

Keywords: football agents; football intermediaries; principal-agent relationship; football agents' services; service evaluation; German agents market; moral hazard; screening; monitoring; logistic regression.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2022.128625

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2022 Vol.22 No.5/6, pp.361 - 384

Received: 11 May 2021
Accepted: 04 Jan 2022
Published online: 31 Jan 2023 *

Title: Football agents from the perspective of their clients: services, service evaluation, and factors that create satisfaction

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