Don Dransfield is the English executive chosen by 777 Partners to be its Chief Strategy Officer. He held the same role at Manchester City between 2010 and 2022. That is, he outlined the plan to transform a club, whose biggest success in 20 years was a fifth place, into the biggest Premier League winners in the last ten years.
It’s not just money.
During his visit to Brazil last week, Dransfield talked about the 777 project. Vasco will not be a satellite club, as BolÃvar is for the City Group. Nor will he be the head of the operation, which includes Genoa, in Italy, and Standard de Liège, in Belgium.
“Decisions will take into account the development of players and clubs,” he says.
There are still obstacles to make Vasco SAF get off the ground: the counselors. The opposition managed to obtain an injunction on behalf of the Consumer Rights Commission of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, which was overturned only on Monday (25).
This is a detail, because Vasco will become a joint-stock company in football, just as Botafogo, Cruzeiro and América-MG have already done. Who will succeed or fail in the attempt to be a winner is another matter.
The fact is that Dransfield traveled to Brazil talking about the things that make investors bet that this will return to being the country of football. Like John Textor, he is impressed by the packed stadiums and the talent of players here.
I ask if the view in Europe is that Brazil discovers as many special players as in the past. Dransfield is a no-brainer: “In England, Belgium, France, there is much more investment in gyms”. That’s what explains so many great players from nationalities who didn’t train so well.
His belief is that more organized clubs can improve the training of players and this is reflected in more stars and more ability to keep athletes here.
Even without this work formatted to discover talent, Brazil is the only country with players selected in all the Champions League finals of the 21st century. The last decision without anyone able to play for the Brazilian team was the 1999 Manchester United 2 x 1 decision. Bayern, because striker Élber was injured in the German team.
The last final, in May, had more Brazilians (5) than Spaniards (2) and English (2), despite being Real Madrid x Liverpool. Dransfield was even more impressed by this information.
There is another fact that impacts entrepreneurs interested in investing in Brazilian football: passion. Just as Corinthians coach VÃtor Pereira talks openly about the crowd that fills the Neo QuÃmica Arena every day – the average in Itaquera is 38,000 fans per game.
The Brazilian had its first round concluded with an average of 20,078. It is the third best average of the last 40 years and is second only to the 1983 (22,953) and 2019 (21,320) championships. As there is still half of the tournament to go, it is possible to become a record.
If foreign coaches did not produce the cultural revolution in Brazilian football – it would be necessary to change the nationality of journalists and fans –, businessmen have a much better chance of succeeding.
Investing in the training of players who understand the game, choosing coaches and professionals capable of forming teams in the long term, managing expectations and reality. All of this will be most welcome.
The Englishman Don Dransfield and the American John Textor are impressed by the incredible combination of talent and passion they found here.
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