“PromoSport has conquered its space and I believe it will expand more and more”
9 Jun 2022
António Teixeira is founder and CEO of PromoSport, a sports intermediation company, based in Matosinhos and with a long portfolio who stand out in the most varied national and international championships.
From the time as an amateur footballer to the “adventure” in the intermediation “almost for fun” and “curiosity”, António Teixeira travels through the past, present and future of the company, for whom he projects a tomorrow always above what has been achieved today, or it hadn't always been like this, in a company that proudly started at the bottom, but climbed to the top in Portugal.
How did PromoSport emerge in the context of your career as a FIFA businessman?
PromoSport is the result of my passion for football. A passion that started as a football player, from at FC Penafiel, and then as an amateur, at Aliados de Lordelo and Castêlo da Maia, until it stopped. But even after that, I remained connected to football, as a director, at Leixões, already in the II League. In 1993, when I left the management of Leixões, I started out of curiosity to go to Brazil to see some games and players and I considered continuing connected to the world of football through intermediation. That's what happened. I started to see if I had some talent for this area. Since then, the activity has expanded.
This passion for football ended up being decisive in the emergence of the company…
Undoubtedly. Going to Brazil, not knowing anyone, starting to watch games and at the end of the games waiting outside the locker room to approach players who I liked to propose to them to come to Portugal… it was an adventure. And, at the same time, also talking to players from the domestic leagues, realizing their difficulties and also starting to move them, within the difficulties of starting an activity.
What was the first business you helped to make in football and how was the process like?
There was a player I met when I was director for football at Leixões, called Erasmo. Still at that time in Leixões, he started to suggest a friend of his, who played for Vila Pouca de Aguiar, that I don't know exactly which Division he would be in, perhaps Division III or even below. Erasmo came from Chaves and always talked about a great player in Vila Pouca, China. I remember that, at the time, I talked with several clubs, but they wouldn't open the door. And then I spoke with a coach named António Luís, who, at the time, was the coach of Lourosa. I told him about China, as being a good player, a good number 10. He went for a trial and after ten minutes of a friendly game, António Luís immediately started gesturing that he was going to sign. He signed, had a great season, many goals, went far in the Portuguese Cup where they were only eliminated in Alvalade by Sporting. China was, therefore, the first player I moved.
What are the main concerns that guide PromoSport's activity, especially with the athletes and coaches with whom you work?
They are many and different. PromoSport is dedicated to sports intermediation and the term is correct: intermediating between the parties. We are always close to the coaches and players. We try to advise them, to guide them. The biggest challenges are to evolve more and more in the guidance we give to professionals, making them see which way to go. Advise them to take the best decision. Sometimes it's not just the financial issue, but also the sporting one. Choose the best players that adapt to each club. A player who is good for one club is not always good for others.
What are your biggest reasons for pride in these years of activity?
The greatest source of pride, I believe, is being able to say that PromoSport and all its employees, since the beginning of the activity until today, have sought to guide their action by transparency, ethics and seriousness. This is the great source of pride. We can be proud of having a very clean image in the market.
How do you see PromoSport's current situation in relation to its beginning of activity?
PromoSport is a company that started at the bottom, working a lot at the lower levels. Reach the I Liga was a process that took some years. But PromoSport managed to work in the First League with big clubs, namely Vitória SC, which, through its President Dr. Pimenta Machado, was the first club in the First League to open its doors to us. Then also Salgueiros and after that other doors opened in big clubs. And we went step by step. We started to work abroad, other countries, such as Spain, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Romania, among others. Today, both in the domestic and foreign markets, PromoSport has a very intense activity, placing players in different Leagues.
How do you project the future of PromoSport?
I believe that Promosport will continue to grow, although there are more and more agents. But Promosport has conquered its space and I believe it will continue to work in the same way as it has worked until now. And I believe it will expand more and more and work more and better.
From the time as an amateur footballer to the “adventure” in the intermediation “almost for fun” and “curiosity”, António Teixeira travels through the past, present and future of the company, for whom he projects a tomorrow always above what has been achieved today, or it hadn't always been like this, in a company that proudly started at the bottom, but climbed to the top in Portugal.
How did PromoSport emerge in the context of your career as a FIFA businessman?
PromoSport is the result of my passion for football. A passion that started as a football player, from at FC Penafiel, and then as an amateur, at Aliados de Lordelo and Castêlo da Maia, until it stopped. But even after that, I remained connected to football, as a director, at Leixões, already in the II League. In 1993, when I left the management of Leixões, I started out of curiosity to go to Brazil to see some games and players and I considered continuing connected to the world of football through intermediation. That's what happened. I started to see if I had some talent for this area. Since then, the activity has expanded.
This passion for football ended up being decisive in the emergence of the company…
Undoubtedly. Going to Brazil, not knowing anyone, starting to watch games and at the end of the games waiting outside the locker room to approach players who I liked to propose to them to come to Portugal… it was an adventure. And, at the same time, also talking to players from the domestic leagues, realizing their difficulties and also starting to move them, within the difficulties of starting an activity.
What was the first business you helped to make in football and how was the process like?
There was a player I met when I was director for football at Leixões, called Erasmo. Still at that time in Leixões, he started to suggest a friend of his, who played for Vila Pouca de Aguiar, that I don't know exactly which Division he would be in, perhaps Division III or even below. Erasmo came from Chaves and always talked about a great player in Vila Pouca, China. I remember that, at the time, I talked with several clubs, but they wouldn't open the door. And then I spoke with a coach named António Luís, who, at the time, was the coach of Lourosa. I told him about China, as being a good player, a good number 10. He went for a trial and after ten minutes of a friendly game, António Luís immediately started gesturing that he was going to sign. He signed, had a great season, many goals, went far in the Portuguese Cup where they were only eliminated in Alvalade by Sporting. China was, therefore, the first player I moved.
What are the main concerns that guide PromoSport's activity, especially with the athletes and coaches with whom you work?
They are many and different. PromoSport is dedicated to sports intermediation and the term is correct: intermediating between the parties. We are always close to the coaches and players. We try to advise them, to guide them. The biggest challenges are to evolve more and more in the guidance we give to professionals, making them see which way to go. Advise them to take the best decision. Sometimes it's not just the financial issue, but also the sporting one. Choose the best players that adapt to each club. A player who is good for one club is not always good for others.
What are your biggest reasons for pride in these years of activity?
The greatest source of pride, I believe, is being able to say that PromoSport and all its employees, since the beginning of the activity until today, have sought to guide their action by transparency, ethics and seriousness. This is the great source of pride. We can be proud of having a very clean image in the market.
How do you see PromoSport's current situation in relation to its beginning of activity?
PromoSport is a company that started at the bottom, working a lot at the lower levels. Reach the I Liga was a process that took some years. But PromoSport managed to work in the First League with big clubs, namely Vitória SC, which, through its President Dr. Pimenta Machado, was the first club in the First League to open its doors to us. Then also Salgueiros and after that other doors opened in big clubs. And we went step by step. We started to work abroad, other countries, such as Spain, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Romania, among others. Today, both in the domestic and foreign markets, PromoSport has a very intense activity, placing players in different Leagues.
How do you project the future of PromoSport?
I believe that Promosport will continue to grow, although there are more and more agents. But Promosport has conquered its space and I believe it will continue to work in the same way as it has worked until now. And I believe it will expand more and more and work more and better.
