Press Release: TopSpot NOT behind OPS-jp’s Nigerian InvasionDuring the last few days we have received a number of phone calls from many of our clients and partners in Finland. They have been wondering if we are behind the 8 Nigerian players that Finnish second tier club OPS-jp announced they have signed.
To avoid further misunderstandings and the spreading of false information we want to make it clear that neither TopSpot Ltd or our FIFA Agent Marko Saranlinna have nothing to do with these particular players nor with OPS-jp.
The OPS-jp signings have attracted a lot of negative attention in the Finnish media and the Finnish football community. The integration of eight new players with just two months left in the season would be a challenge for any club, never mind one in the second tier of Finnish football dealing with players adjusting to a new culture on and off the pitch. This kind of transfer activity is not something TopSpot Ltd supports, is involved in or wants to be associated with.
TopSpot Ltd has been working in Nigeria and nearby countries since 2007 and our aim is to assist clubs in finding talented players that have the potential to adapt and succeed in a new environment, and to find the right clubs for our players.
Preparation is key
This ethos applies to our work in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Far East: whatever a player’s background, we always aim to ensure he is adequately prepared before he signs for a new club.
This involves assessing a player’s strengths and weaknesses, his personality and his mental strength. The TopSpot Talent Tournaments, organised in many states in Nigeria and now well-known in the country, are a good forum to help scouts. We offer support, coaching and guidance in every area, and often we will work with a player for many months before he signs for a new club.
We are also there to help smoothe out any problems in the acclimatisation process once he arrives. In Finland the culture shock can be big, and we are prepared for most hiccups and problems that can occur for an African player within his new club and in everyday life.
Recognised expertise
Our successes have helped their new clubs achieve great things. Ebrima Sohna, Dominic Chatto, Victor Turcios, Paul Obifuele, Dickson Nwakaeme, Faith Friday and more have been our clients and become firm favourites at their new clubs.
Of course there are also failed transfers, that is a fact even when teams recruit from within Finland. But we are proud of our record of minimising the risks involved for all concerned. We are also proud that Finnish players now recognise our expertise, and we have also helped an increasing number of Finnish players to move to new clubs in a different culture.
This involves a huge amount of work and professional skill.
It may be that OPS-jp has an extensive backroom staff to minimise the risks involved in a cross-cultural transfer, similar to the team we have working across four continents. We do not know. We can say for sure that we are not working with OPS-jp on their strategy.TopSpot in Africa
TopSpot has a long history of working with African players. Our organization’s goal is to start the adaptation process towards a deeper professionalism and cultural understanding in Africa, before players leave.
We take responsibility for the whole journey the players make from the grass root level, when they are scouted and selected to join our program, all the way to being a professional footballer outside Africa. We will be there to help and guide them along the way.
The same experience we have gained working with African and other players from different culture over the years is invaluable to our clients on the club side. We are happy to share our knowledge and improve the success rate of their international recruitment.
TopSpot Team
http://www.topspot.fi/?p=2479 
