Why Your Contract Isn’t Just About Football
The transfer window has started again. And I’ve been in enough negotiations to know how this usually goes. Everything moves fast. The pressure is on. The focus is on salary, bonuses, contract length, and then the deal gets signed. But what’s talked about far less is this: every contract also decides what you can – and can’t – do beyond football.
Why Off-field Opportunities Matter More Than Ever
Off-field opportunities are becoming more and more important. Not as a distraction from performance, but as part of how players build something that lasts.
A player’s name, image and reputation have real commercial value, and it goes beyond traditional endorsement deals or social media. That value shows up in:
- The partnerships you can choose
Not just short-term brand deals, but long-term relationships with brands you actually believe in, sometimes including equity or advisory roles.
- Building or investing in businesses
From launching your own brand, academy, or media format, to investing in startups, sports tech, or other ventures that interest you.
- Creating projects alongside your career
Foundations, community initiatives, podcasts, content platforms, or education projects that reflect who you are and what you care about.
- Preparing for life after football
Opening doors to roles in media, leadership, investing, coaching, or business, before you actually need them.
More players are starting to recognise this. But with contract negotiations in football, the rights that decide what you can – and can’t -do off the pitch are still often treated as an afterthought, or assumed to be “standard”.
The Clauses No One Flagged at the Time
I’ve seen contracts where players only realised the impact after they had signed. Small lines, big impact: From clauses that quietly blocked personal partnerships to category restrictions that killed business ideas before they even existed.
That’s why it’s so important – even under time pressure – to ask:
- What commercial rights am I giving away?
- What freedom do I keep to build beyond football?
These questions shape what you’re able to build beyond the pitch. I truly believe the strongest deals do both for a player. They secure a strong salary + bonuses and the freedom to protect long-term value beyond football.
And the best time to think about this is before the pressure is on. When you’re clear on what matters to you, it’s much easier to protect it once negotiations speed up.
Helping players build something that lasts off the field is a big part of my work, so the decisions you make today still work for you years from now.
About Christine Diepstraten
Christine Diepstraten helps athletes take ownership of their identity and influence, turning it into a long-term asset on and off the pitch.
She has advised leading athletes, clubs, and global brands across the sports and entertainment industry, bringing deep expertise in law, dealmaking, and IP strategy. Through New Narrative, Christine works with athletes and their teams to build and protect personal brand equity through smart IP structuring, strategic storytelling, high-impact partnerships, and business ventures beyond the game.
Her approach blends legal precision with commercial vision, empowering clients to build not just successful careers, but enduring legacies.
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