Yahoo Sports Giulio Tedeschi: The visionary agent empowering women in football
The warm spring sun filters through the video call as Giulio Tedeschi praises the unseasonably hot English weather, having just arrived in London after a flight from his native Italy. As the founder and CEO of Tedeschi & Partners, a pioneering agency dedicated to representing some of the biggest names in women’s football, his schedule is jam-packed with fast-paced global travel.
But as we exchange platitudes, Giulio exudes a calm, bubbly demeanour, ready to share his unique perspective from the frontlines of the rapidly evolving women’s game.
Turning passion into purpose
Giulio’s initial foray into the industry was in the men’s game, but his passion for advocating for others’ rights soon led him down a different path. He explained: “I always define myself as someone that wants to fight for rights. I wanted to enter into something that I felt passionate about doing for the rest of my life.”
From that moment on, Giulio dedicated himself to representing female footballers, an industry that was not about chasing millions but making a difference in helping young women pursue their dreams.
What began as a small operation out of Naples has rapidly expanded into a global agency with offices in Lisbon, London, Madrid and New York. It represents more than 140 clients worldwide, many of whom play in the Champions League and for national teams.
Championing women’s careers on and off the pitch
Giulio’s role as an agent extends far beyond contract negotiations. He acts as a mentor and career coach, guiding his clients through the complexities of professional football.
“We always define ourselves as a multi-service agency,” he said. “As an agent, you cannot only think of contractual issues as this is less than half of the problems players call us for. We have a section in the agency called ‘Services and Benefits’, and we try to put ourselves in the players’ shoes. We provide mental health services, psychotherapists and nutritionists. We felt this was something lacking in women’s football and is still not taken seriously in 2024.”
At the core of this Tedeschi & Partners approach is a holistic view of their clients’ careers and personal lives, a stark contrast to the often transactional nature of traditional agenting.
“We guide them through family planning, managing the impacts of their menstrual cycles on performance and securing protections against practices like anti-pregnancy clauses in contracts.”
The latter, Giulio notes, has been a particularly insidious issue in women’s football, with some clubs attempting to control players’ reproductive choices or face contract termination.
“We still see contracts in which it is written that if for any reason a player got pregnant, the contract is automatically cancelled,” Giulio said, visibly perturbed. “We can usually get this clause removed if we appeal to FIFA, but that is what is being written into contracts.”
Another key challenge is preparing players for life after retirement, given the relatively short peak earning window in professional sports, particularly for women.
“Unlike their male counterparts, most women can’t simply retire off their playing earnings,” Giulio explained. “So we work closely with each client to develop their post-retirement plans. They can become agents, sporting directors, coaches, physios, nutritionists or even football journalists. We also have partnerships with universities if they want to pursue non-football careers and become, for example, lawyers or architects. Their playing days are just one chapter.”
Elevating athletes through support
Among the many success stories under Giulio’s guidance, one exemplified his ability to build trust and unlock player potential. He recounted working with his first female client, Adriana Gomes, who initially was shy and sceptical of involving an agent in her career.
He recalled: “She is the type of person that has to trust you before you can convince her of anything, and I was without any client in the women’s game. I said to her, ‘if you come with me, I promise we will not sign anything that is not good’, which is not something agents usually say.”
Giulio explained how consistent communication, empathy and meticulously mapping out Gomes’ career pathway encouraged her to gradually open up to him. The hard work culminated in her scoring the decisive goal to secure Napoli Femminile’s promotion.
It was a testament to the transformative impact an agent can have by being a supportive presence for players. For Giulio, such moments crystallise why he remains so passionate about elevating the women’s game and its athletes.
Raising standards and tackling discrimination
As the women’s game continues to garner mainstream attention, Giulio is acutely aware of the need for increased professionalism and regulation within the agent environment.
Prior to 2015, FIFA regulated football agents, requiring all agents to take examinations and receive licenses through local football associations. FIFA scrapped those requirements in 2015, and agents were rebranded as intermediaries with new, more lenient regulations.
“It was a problem because you could call yourself an intermediary just by paying $500 without any authorisation, and then you could do whatever you want,” Giulio said, his voice tinged with frustration. “This was very dangerous because it allowed a lot of bad people into the football industry, which gave a very bad reputation to our profession.”
In 2023, FIFA reintroduced the scrapped 2015 regulations, imposing an obligation on agents to pass an exam and obtain a licence to represent players.
Guilio remains a strong advocate for stricter FIFA regulations, including tougher licensing requirements and transparency on agent fees. He is a co-founder of the Italian Association of Football Agents (IAFA) and its Women’s Football delegate. In 2021, he wrote Inside the World of a Football Agent, critically analysing international regulations governing the industry.
Another area where Giulio is demanding wholesale intervention is in combating the discrimination and abuse that continues to plague women’s football at all levels.
“This is something that has to be definitely, totally and completely destroyed in women’s football,” he said firmly. “We know of coaches that were sexually assaulting players as well as problems with racism. It’s completely disgusting. More has to be done, and we need the input of the big international institutions.”
The future is bright
Despite the plethora of challenges, Giulio is resolutely optimistic about the trajectory of the women’s game and his agency’s role in shaping its future.
“Three years ago, if we were speaking and I said men’s stadiums will sell out for women’s games, you would have said I’m drunk or crazy,” he chuckled. “When I see thousands of supporters coming to attend women’s football games, I see it as my own personal victory, too.”
Describing his company’s plans for the future, he said: “Without my whole team, I can’t do anything. So the first step is empowering all the professionals from the agency: Roberta, Alex, Vlad, Hector, Peppe, Diego, Lydia — all of them are crucial for what we are achieving.
“Our next idea is empowering the US market we have there then also entering into new markets like the Saudi market and the Australian market. So, the goal is to never stop growing.”
As the interview winds down, one thing is clear: Giulio’s dedication to elevating women’s football and protecting the interests of his clients is more than just a job — it’s a calling. And with trailblazers like him leading the way, the future of the women’s game looks even brighter.
