In an exclusive interview to our blog, John van Zweden, Director of Swansea City AFC , English Premier League club , talks about management,relationship with the fans and players.

FF: The Swans suffered a heavy defeat 5-0 against Chelsea, and fans continued to support the team with euphoria. What Fans of Swansea has so special in comparison to the others? 

Our fans, the Jack Army are happy we are a premierleague team, and the only team in Wales who are a PL team. They are famous for singing the whole game through. A heavy defeat against a top class team can happen. Chelsea atm are by far the best team in the PL. 

FF Swansea is a club that invests in young talent, as the club invests in this work and in your opinion who is the hot prospect for the future? 

We are very happy we've got a few good youngsters in the squad. We can't afford to buy very expensive players, because we do not have the money other big teams have. We are fans who own and run the club. All of us have a normal job or business to run, and we cant afford it. We show the rest of the PL that it's possible to survive that way. 


FF: What is the importance of the work of goalkeeper Fabianski as a player and as a professional for the team? 

Fabianski is a very good gk, and we are very proud to have the big man in goal. We didn't pay for him,cause he was a free agent, and that again is our biusiness. Try to find the best and cheapest players. Lukasz is a top man. 

FF: Swansea AFC is a very organized club, which is now the largest source of funds of the club? What are your plans for the growth of the club? 

As long as we stay in the PL we are very happy. A good scouting system work with us. We have a very good club. The owners are all fans of the club, but and that is also vey important, we are all friends of eacht other, and n the last 14 years we own the club we never had problems with eacht other. How good is that ??? 

FF: In your opinion, partnerships (commercial, financial, agreements) with African and South American clubs, can bring benefits to the club? 

In my opinion not neccesary. 

FF: What can we expect from the Swans for years to come? 

You can expect a mid table table team. Financial stable. And hopefully for years and years to come. We will probably never be the champion, but as long as our fans are happy with the way we run the club, we are happy !!! 

FF: Who is today's best player Barclays Premier league? 

That is Eden Hazard. By far the best player !!! 

FF:Thank you for the exclusive interview.

Best wishes.. 

Management Marketing

17:25

He is the Commercial Director of AEK F.C. , one of biggest clubs from the Greece, with a wide experience among the greatest football clubs in Greece . Follow this exclusive interview to our blog Fibra Football:

Fibra Football: Thank you for an exclusive interview. Tell us a little more about the challenges this year as Commercial Director of AEK. 
The greatest project for AEK is the new stadium which will be built in Nea Filadelfia, at the very same place the historical ground stoud and in the years to come it is expected to drive revenues to a whole different level. On a day to day basis, optimum commercial exploitation of the Club’s assets is always the case! Currently we are working on a number of strategic co-operations with key sponsors as well as a new wholesale and retail network for the Club’s official products. 

FB: AEK is one of the most successful Clubs in Greece. How do you manage all the commercial potential of this giant? 

As in all commercial & marketing efforts, it is crucial to set specific goals and a solid strategy to achieve them. We follow a predetermined action plan approved by the board and each project has a specific timeline and evaluation objectives. 

FB: What are the factors of greater impact, in your professional career? 
I have been working in the sports industry for the past 12 years. It has been really amazing to see how new technologies have been incorporated in the core of sports advertising and promotion strategies. The LED perimetrical pitch ad boards, social media and the growing importance of digital content through new media platforms, all three of them are indicative examples. 

FB: You have a wide experience among the greatest football clubs in Greece. How has Greek football responded to the economic crisis in the country? 

Football in Greece has always been attracting sponsors and broader advertising investments, as it remains very popular in growing audiences. Certainly the economic crisis is affecting all marketing budgets, yet football has proved to be a very competitive investment. 

FB: Can Greek football achieve greater commercial projection in other continents? 
Sporting success is the decisive factor for penetrating overseas markets. Euro 2004 is a great example, where Greece won the European Cup and commercial development on an international level did take place. A growing audience was interested on watching Greece’s games (TV and/or web), merchandising sales were boosted and a growing number of sponsors were involved. 

Management Marketing

16:01

Creative is the word that comes to mind when we think about Tamer Yoursry, one professional willing to create a revolution in the sport of Egypt . Check  the exclusive interview to our blog Fibra Football.

Fibra Football : Thank you for an exclusive interview. How is your work at Timeout?

I Established timeout sports management 4 years ago with the main aim of commercialising the sports sector in Egypt providing best value for sports assets and better ROI for brands with sports DNA.
In that period we had many new to market concepts as we lead Zamalek FC to be the first club in Africa to operate its mobile service and Chelsea FC to be the first EPL club to partner with an Egyptian company aside of working with the top sports assets globally on commercial expanion plans in the region and consulting many local sports assets on different projects.
In the same time i am the head of the sports events and sponsorship module in the FIFA/CIES diploma in Cairo university and i have o confess that teaching sports business is one of my best things that i really enjoy.


Fibra Football :In your opinion, what are the main challenges for sports companies in Egypt?

In my opinion the main challanges for sports companies in Egypt is both the old mind sets that are controlling the sports sector in Egypt and the corruption around it through the past decade aside of the political and economic problems that affected the country as a whole in the last 4 years.

Fibra Football :Tell us a bit more about the creation of the T20

T20 for Egypt is an association that incudes the Egyptians that were graduated from the top 20 bussiness schools worldwide which was established with the main aim of helping the Egyptian government in all sectors,In our point of view the country needs to create a critical mass of top calibers to revamp the way things are dealt with on all levels, We are currently working closely on Egypt 2030 vision with the minister of planning and I am hounered heading th sports committe within the T20 association.

Fibra Football :You act on a crusade to make more profitable the sport in Egypt, what are your future plans?

Our future plan is to build new concepts in the Egyptian sports sector starting from match day experience, Clubs Management and un traditional projects aside of focusing on the commercial expasion for top sports assets in Egypt.

Fibra Football :How do you see the current situation of the Egyptian football?

The current situation is in my point of view is like a total loss situation, It is enough to say that the biggest clubs in the ME and Africa Ahly and Zamalek doesn't have a commercial department despite having in average more than 30 M fans each with a great demands over their brands, same applies on the Egyptian federations in all sports but on the other side i beleive that Egypt is the country that have the greatest potential to develop its sports sector as it has the history of success on the African level in most of the popular sports and a 90 Million sports fanatic population that makes it a unique market for any sports asset in the world.

Fibra Football :What is your opinion on the Brazilian football?
I beleive that the Brazilian sports sector and specially the football industry had developed alot in the last decade building over TPO deals for football players that injected money into the Brazlian football and converted the whole industry into a very profitable one. But with the recent regulations by FIFA the brazilan football should find a creative way to overcome the ban of new TPO transactions in th coming years or it will have a great effect on the current success of Brazilian football.

Fibra Football :What can lead a club to success?

I think that managing a club is the best profession that anyone working in the sports sector could be involved in as it is impressive the way you could lead a team technically, Commercially, Financially to success and i wish i would have this chance in the near future.

Fibra Football :Thank you once again and success!

Thank you r interview and looking forward for a better cooperation between the sports sectors in Egypt and Brazil.

Management Marketing

17:41