Profile completeness69%

Apertura Sports GmbH

Asia–Europe Pathway

Germany €27mm

52Players

€27mmPortfolio

About

Apertura Sports is a Stuttgart -based international sports agency specialising in football, with additional activities in American football and basketball. Since 2010, the firm has focused on long-term career planning for players and coaches, combining German organisational structure with deep ties to the South Korean and Chinese markets. They cooperate with Honggeun Kim from HK Sports Management. With offices and partner structures in Stuttgart, Reutlingen, Jeju and Shanghai, Apertura positions itself as a bridge between European clubs and Asian talent, offering end-to-end support that includes contract negotiations, commercial deals and life-after-football planning.

Key People

Co-Founder: Johannes Graf Strachwitz

Founder of Apertura Sports and part of the 0711 network, experienced music, sports and event manager; FIFA-licensed players’ agent with a long track record in German football. Email: strachwitz@apertura-sports.com Phone: +49 (0)151-29104380 - Co-Founder: Martin Rath – Co-owner of Apertura Sports, experienced sports business executive and manager across related companies, involved in strategic and operational leadership of the football department. Email: rath@apertura-sports.com Phone: +49 (0) 170-2834995 - Licensed agents: Johannes Graf Strachwitz – FIFA-licensed players’ agent, registered with DFB and listed with DBU (Danish FA); license number not publicly disclosed. - Scouting / staff: Misghina Russom – Scout responsible for talent identification and scouting support within the Apertura network.

Rising Talents

🌱 Managing Director Sport)

Notable Deals

2019 – Jeong Woo-yeong, Bayern Munich → SC Freiburg – Permanent transfer to the Bundesliga, reported fee around €2–4.5m, with a multi-year contract and Bayern buy-back option. - 2023 – Jeong Woo-yeong, SC Freiburg → VfB Stuttgart – Bundesliga transfer for a reported fee of about €3.8m, signing a long-term deal. - 2024 – Oh Hyeon-gyu, Celtic → Genk – Striker moved from the Scottish Premiership champions to the Belgian Pro League on a four-year contract, with the fee widely reported in the €2.7–5m range. - 2024 – Hong Hyun-seok, Gent → Mainz 05 – South Korea international midfielder transferred to the Bundesliga for a reported €4–6m fee and a multi-year contract. - 2025 – Jeong Woo-yeong, VfB Stuttgart → Union Berlin – Loan move in 2024 converted into a permanent transfer in 2025, with a reported €4m fee and contract to 2026. - 2025 – Lee Hyun-ju, Bayern Munich II → Arouca – Permanent move to Primeira Liga side Arouca, reported as a record transfer for the club at around €1.5–1.6m with a contract running to 2028. - 2025 – Proposed Oh Hyeon-gyu, Genk → VfB Stuttgart – High-profile move reported at €20m+ that ultimately collapsed after medical-related disagreements, underlining the forward’s market value and Apertura’s ability to operate in that bracket. - 2026 – Oh Hyeon-gyu: Genk → Besiktas, reported fee around €14m Fees shown are indicative estimates (not official).

Services

- Contract negotiation and renegotiation (club contracts, bonuses, performance clauses) - Domestic and international transfers and loans, especially Germany–Belgium–Portugal and Korea–Europe pathways - Legal and tax structuring through in-house and network expertise within the wider 0711 ecosystem - Commercial partnerships, image rights, sponsorship and media work for athletes and coaches - Relocation support for players and families (housing, schooling, language and cultural integration), particularly for Asian players moving to Europe - Performance support via external partners – physical preparation, sports psychology and data-driven performance analysis - Career planning beyond playing days, including mentoring, business opportunities and personal branding within the 0711 network