United Talent Agency (UTA) has acquired Representatives of Outstanding Footballers (ROOF), one of Europe’s leading soccer agencies.
ROOF to be integrated with US sports agency Klutch Sports Group, which is also under UTA
ROOF targets further global expansion, having already established offices in Munich, London and Madrid
Germany-based agency ROOF represents about 130 soccer players across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, including Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry. It also counts 20 coaches and managers on its client roster.
The acquisition bolsters UTA’s sports division, which was created in 2019 after it invested in Klutch, the agency founded and led by renowned basketball agent Rich Paul. Paul now serves as co-head of UTA Sports alongside Andrew Thau, who is also chief operating officer of UTA.
Klutch’s client roster includes the likes of National Basketball Association (NBA) icon LeBron James, Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player A’Ja Wilson.
“This exciting partnership gives us access to industry-leading resources and expertise to better serve our clients and broaden our reach globally,” said Björn Bezemer, ROOF co-founder and managing director.
“With ROOF partners becoming shareholders in one of the most transformational agencies in global sports and entertainment, we are excited to bring our industry-leading football representation to this team.”
Soccer agency to continue to operate under its own name and founding leadership team, who become UTA shareholders
“Football is the most global and popular sport on the planet, and in charting our path into the game, we’ve searched for a partner who aligns with Klutch’s values and takes a similar client-first approach,” added Paul.
“It was clear very early on that ROOF was the perfect fit; our agencies share the same philosophy, passion and professional approach to representing the world’s best athletes. Together we look forward to bringing new energy to the beautiful game and its athletes through the lens of empowerment, storytelling and forward thinking.”
ROOF and its clients will now have access to UTA’s global platform of practices and capabilities.
sportspromedia