Vadim Vasilyev (businessman)

Vadim Vasilyev
Personal information
Date of birth (1965-09-23) 23 September 1965

Vadim Vasilyev (born 23 September 1965) is the Vice President of the French football club AS Monaco FC. He was appointed to that position on 8 August 2013 and has since played a key role in developing AS Monaco's team and securing its position, including negotiating key agreements with the French League; and with Uefa around Financial Fair Play rules. He has also gained a reputation as an effective operator in the transfer market, beginning with a number of high-profile signings completed during the 2013 Summer transfer window.[1]

Education and career

Vasilyev graduated with a degree in economics from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1987.[2]

He worked for the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1987 to 1990, during which he was posted to Soviet Embassy in Iceland.

Following his diplomatic career, he then worked for a number of different private companies, including Uralkali,[3] the world's leading producer of potash, where he was Director of Exports. Later on, he established his own company and worked as an entrepreneur developing several different businesses.

Football Management career

Vasilyev had always had a strong knowledge of and great interest in football – both the Russian domestic game and club football across Europe. In January 2013, he started working as an advisor to the President of AS Monaco, Dmitry Rybolovlev, helping the club to complete a number of significant transfer deals during the Winter window of 2012–2013. During that period as an advisor he developed a strong working relationship with key executives at AS Monaco as well further developing his knowledge of the transfer market and team management. He was subsequently asked to join the club on a permanent basis and became the sporting director on 25 March 2013. He became then Vice President during the summer 2013.

In the role of sporting director, Vasilyev is in charge of management of the first team, player recruitment and the scouting service, the coaching staff, the medical service and the academy.

As of 15 October 2013, Vasilyev assumed the role of Director General as well as Vice President of AS Monaco.[4]

Following his initial appointment, his first objective was to ensure that the club achieved promotion to Ligue 1 during the 2012–2013 season, thereby returning to the top flight of French football only two years after AS Monaco's relegation to Ligue 2 in 2011. This goal was achieved comfortably as AS Monaco ended the season as Ligue 2 Champions.

After achieving the first goal of promotion back to Ligue 1, Vasilyev was closely focused on managing the club's summer transfer window.[5] During this transfer window, Vasilyev targeted the recruitment of major players – both French and foreign – that he and the club believed would help them achieve their objective of becoming a major force in Ligue 1. The high profile new recruits in that period included: Éric Abidal,[6] Jérémy Toulalan, Ricardo Carvalho, Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Radamel Falcao,[7] Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez.[8][9]

Together with the president of the club, Vasilyev set a primary goal of qualifying for the Champions League and playing in the competition during the 2014–15 season.[10] Vasilyev was quoted as saying: "We are very ambitious and we have great hopes, but winning the title is of course very difficult. Ligue 1 is a high-level and demanding championship, with very good and experienced teams. Our primary goal is to qualify and play the Champions league as soon as possible."

Vasilyev also played a critical role in the resolution of the protracted conflict between AS Monaco and the French League (LFP) over the fiscal status of the Principality. The dispute was finally resolved in July 2015.[11] During the dispute, Vasilyev consistently promoted a message of unity across French football, suggesting that the game in France overall can benefit greatly from the development of Monaco and the influx of new and exciting talent to the League. He said at the time: "Most important is that French Football will benefit a lot from AS Monaco FC. We are adversaries only on the pitch, after we need to work together to improve the level of the league. That’s our goal." [12]

Vasilyev also helped the club reach an agreement with Uefa over Financial Fair Play rules, an important step that has enabled it to pursue a clear transfer strategy moving forward.

2015 was extraordinary year for AS Monaco FC in terms of the number of transfers and the profit recorded from them.

Transfers at AS Monaco FC to 31 August 2015 (mln euro)[13]

Departures Arrivals
Martial (Manchester United) 80M€ Cavaleiro (Benfica Lisbonne) 15M€
Kondogbia (Inter Milan) 42M€ Traoré (Lille) 14M€
Abdennour (Valence) 30 M€ Lopes (Manchester City) 10M€
Kurzawa (PSG) 24 M€ Carrillo (Estudiantes) 9M€
Ferreira Carasco (Atletico Madrid) 20 M€ Boschilia (Sao Paulo) 9M€
Falcao (en prêt à Chelsea) 10M€ Saint-Maximin (Saint-Etienne) 5M€
Ocampos (Marseille) 7 M€ Lemar (Caen) 4M€
Isimat Mirin (Eindhoven) 3M€ Jean (Troyes) 4M€
Bahlouli (Lyon) 3M€
Total departures 216 millions Total arrivals 73 millions

Vasilyev's acumen in the transfer market has been praised by his counterparts in the French League.

"Whether it is Luis Campos, Nicolas Holveсk or Vadim Vasilyev - the vice-president of the club [Monaco] and negotiator number one when it comes to talking about money. He is very smart and educated, he always demonstrates perfect behavior and great knowledge," - said Jean-Michel Vandamme, Director of Lille, who negotiated the transition Adama Traore.[14]

In an interview with FranceFootball.fr Vadim Vasilyev spoke about the sports policy of FC, numerous transfers of players during the summer transfer window and the ambitions of the club's owner, Dmitry Rybolovlev.[15]

At the beginning of 2016, Monaco appointed Claude Makelele as technical director to assist Vasilyev, working with manager Leonardo Jardim and his first-team squad.

Makelele said: "My meeting with Vadim Vasilyev was decisive in my decision to join AS Monaco and this project is based on the long term".[16]

In January 2016, Monaco signed Brazilian defender Jemerson from Atletico Mineiro. The 23-year-old signed a five-year contract with the principality side after the two clubs agreed a fee reported to be in the region of 10 million euros (£7.6m).

Club vice-president Vadim Vasilyev said: "We are very proud to welcome Jemerson, a young Brazilian defender whom we have been tracking regularly. We have a lot of faith in him. He will have the opportunity to develop at AS Monaco, and we are sure he will soon be showing all of his qualities".[17]

In February 2016, the final Globe Soccer Award of the season 2015-16 for the best deal made during the two FIFA football transfer windows was presented in Monte-Carlo to Vasilyev.[18] The Best Transfer Market Club Award went to AS Monaco, already rewarded in 2014-15 after the James Rodriguez transfer to Real Madrid. This time, the GSA jury decided to reward AS Monaco for the Anthony Martial move to Manchester United. In the era of financial fair-play, many football observers believe that Monaco has shown itself to be a case study, and not only for these two deals that impressed football pundits and the Globe Soccer Awards jury (Fabio Capello, Antonio Conte and Luis Figo among others).

Vasilyev commented on the award: "I am very happy, this prize rewards all the work done for the past three years. We always tried to have better financial performances with good sporting results. I am proud of our Champions League campaign last year, and also of this Ligue 1 season. I hope we will come back in Champions League next season while maintaining the economic stability of the club".[19]

Sporting achievements

Under Vasilyev, ASM FC have achieved a number of sporting milestones. In the 2013/14 season, the club came second in the French championship behind PSG with the best points total for a second placed finish in the history of the League. In the following 2014/15 season, ASM FC reached the quarter finals of the Champions League and achieved a third place finish in the French Championship.

References

  1. ↑ "Communiqué officiel". 25 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "Topic Dirigeant". 15 March 2013.
  3. ↑ Rémi Dupré (30 May 2013). "Monaco, les nouveaux princes du foot-business".
  4. ↑ http://www.asm-fc.com/fr/article/konstantin-zyryanov-quitte-las-monaco-fc-63381.html
  5. ↑ "Vadim Vasilyev fait le point sur le mercato". 28 May 2013.
  6. ↑ "Vadim Vasilyev". 8 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Vasilyev : "Falcao, le meilleur attaquant du monde"". 9 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Yann (8 July 2013). "Monaco:recrutement terminé ?".
  9. ↑ Edouard (13 July 2013). "AS Monaco : Vasilyev justifie les choix du président".
  10. ↑ RSport http://en.rsport.ru/interview/20130718/674605193.html/ Retrieved July 2013
  11. ↑ "ECOFOOT".
  12. ↑ RSport http://en.rsport.ru/interview/20130718/674605193.html/ Retrieved July 2013
  13. ↑ "Monaco: la très bonne affaire des transferts". www.lexpress.fr. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  14. ↑ "C'est comment une négociation avec Monaco, le club qui a ramené 200 millions cet été?". 20minutes.fr. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  15. ↑ "Vasilyev : "Je n'envie pas le PSG"". France Football (in French). Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  16. ↑ "Claude Makelele appointed as Monaco technical director". Mail Online. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  17. ↑ Sports, Fox. "Monaco sign Brazilian defender Jemerson from Atletico Mineiro". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  18. ↑ "Globe Soccer Awards to AS Monaco | News | AS Monaco FC". www.asmonaco.com. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  19. ↑ "Ce trophée qui récompense la politique de recrutement de l'AS Monaco". www.nicematin.com (in French). Retrieved 2016-02-16.
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