{"id":69168,"date":"2026-08-07T15:22:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T13:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/?p=69168"},"modified":"2026-08-07T15:22:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T13:22:22","slug":"vlado-lemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/blog\/vlado-lemic","title":{"rendered":"Vlado Lemic, from player to influential agent in European football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Vlado Lemic<\/strong> never shone on the pitch and does not appear on any official list of FIFA-licensed agents.<\/p>\n

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And yet, Vlado Lemic<\/strong> has influenced some of the most important transfers in European football over recent years. By representing players such as Mateja Ke\u017eman<\/strong> and Luka Modri\u0107<\/strong>, or by handling the complex Alexander Isak<\/strong> file in the summer of 2025, the Serbian agent has established himself as an influential figure in the transfer market.<\/p>\n

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Vlado Lemic was a modest player<\/strong> who became a top-level intermediary, able to connect dressing rooms, sporting departments and club owners right across the continent. Vlado's journey<\/strong> shows how a network is built, how influence is negotiated behind the scenes, but also where the line lies between sporting advice and the regulated profession of licensed agent.<\/p>\n

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Let us now take a closer look at Vlado Lemic's trajectory<\/strong>, at how he became a players' agent<\/a>, and at the major transfers that made his reputation.<\/p>\n

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\"Vlado<\/figure>\n

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Who is Vlado Lemic?<\/h2>\n

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Vladica \"Vlado\" Lemic<\/strong> was born in 1966 in Zagreb, formerly the capital of the Socialist Republic of Croatia within Yugoslavia. A Serbian national, he now lives mainly in Herenthout, Belgium. It is from this town that, for more than twenty years, he has developed a network stretching from South America to England.<\/p>\n

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Within the world of agents<\/strong>, he is described as a behind-the-scenes figure. His reputation does not rest on a media presence, but on his ability to bring together players, buying clubs and decision-makers<\/strong>. He is today the manager of the Universal Twenty Two agency, based in Barcelona.<\/p>\n

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Lemic: a modest but decisive playing career<\/h2>\n

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A midfielder, Vlado Lemic spent most of his career at FK Borac Banja Luka<\/strong>, in the Yugoslav Second Division. He had a modest career, with one particular exception.<\/p>\n

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On 11 May 1988, at the Marakana stadium in Belgrade, Borac played the Yugoslav Cup final against Red Star Belgrade. Heavy underdogs, the Banja Luka side caused a surprise by winning 1\u20130. It was the first and only time a club playing outside the top flight won this cup. Lemic only came on in the last two minutes, replacing the match's goalscorer, but he still won this trophy, which would mark a turning point in his career.<\/p>\n

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Thanks to this exposure, he first joined the club KFC Herentals, before playing in the Belgian First Division for Lierse S.K., managed by Eric Gerets<\/strong>. It was this encounter with the future PSV Eindhoven manager that would influence his career as a players' agent.<\/p>\n

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How Vlado Lemic became a players' agent<\/h2>\n

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In 1999, at the age of 33, Vlado Lemic entered the transfer market<\/a><\/strong>. Eric Gerets had just been appointed at the helm of PSV Eindhoven, and Lemic followed him on this new adventure, where he was supported by Ranko Stoji\u0107, a more experienced agent. Vlado began bringing players to the club and grew closer to sporting director Frank Arnesen.<\/p>\n

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The Ke\u017eman turning point and Vlado's rise at PSV<\/h3>\n

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His first big coup was the player Mateja Ke\u017eman<\/strong>. In the summer of 2000, the Serbian striker left FK Partizan Belgrade for PSV for around DM 27 million, nearly \u20ac14 million at the time. Ke\u017eman exploded, finished as the league's top scorer and delivered the title to the club in his very first season. This transfer allowed Vlado to gradually establish himself with the PSV Eindhoven board.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In the following years, PSV became a hub for his deals. Through his brother Zoran, an agent based in South America, the club signed Brazilian and Peruvian talents such as goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and winger Jefferson Farf\u00e1n. Lemic also set up an agreement with Chelsea F.C., which allowed the English club to route certain signings through PSV while they obtained their British work permits. This was the case for players such as Alex, Alcides and Slobodan Rajkovi\u0107.<\/p>\n

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Present almost daily at the De Herdgang training centre, he became a direct point of contact for the board, eventually growing closer to Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.<\/p>\n

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The break with PSV<\/h3>\n

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In 2007, the arrival of managing director Jan Reker affected Lemic's professional standing<\/strong>. A conflict erupted over the aborted transfer of Ecuadorian \u00c9dison M\u00e9ndez, a client of Lemic's, and turned public. In the summer of 2008, the adviser was banned from the training centre, without any wrongdoing having been proven against him. Several of his clients left the club in the aftermath. Vlado Lemic then rebuilt his network elsewhere<\/strong>, notably around Real Madrid CF<\/strong>, Chelsea<\/strong> and Hamburger SV<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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In May 2008, Roman Abramovich called on him in the search for Avram Grant's successor at Chelsea. Lemic made contact with Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan) and Luciano Spalletti (AS Roma), but the job went to Luiz Felipe Scolari. He then intensified his collaboration with Frank Arnesen, Chelsea's sporting director, alongside Predrag Mijatovi\u0107. When Arnesen left for Hamburg, Mijatovi\u0107 was for a time tipped to succeed him at Chelsea, a role ultimately given to Michael Emenalo.<\/p>\n

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The major transfers that made his reputation<\/h2>\n

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\"From<\/figure>\n

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After PSV, Vlado Lemic became an intermediary of continental scale<\/strong>. His relationship with Predrag Mijatovi\u0107, a former Real Madrid player who had moved into the club's sporting management, opened up access to the Madrid board for him.<\/p>\n

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Major transfers associated with Vlado Lemic<\/h3>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/strong><\/th>\nPlayer<\/strong><\/th>\nClub left<\/strong><\/th>\nNew club<\/strong><\/th>\nEstimated fee<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
2000<\/td>\nMateja Ke\u017eman<\/td>\nPartizan Belgrade<\/td>\nPSV Eindhoven<\/td>\n~DM 27 million (\u2248 \u20ac14 million)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2007<\/td>\nRoyston Drenthe<\/td>\nFeyenoord<\/td>\nReal Madrid<\/td>\n\u20ac14 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2008<\/td>\nBranislav Ivanovi\u0107<\/td>\nLokomotiv Moscow<\/td>\nChelsea<\/td>\n~\u20ac12 million (\u00a39.7 million)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009<\/td>\nKlaas-Jan Huntelaar<\/td>\nAjax<\/td>\nReal Madrid<\/td>\n\u20ac27 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\nSamuel Eto'o<\/td>\nInter Milan<\/td>\nAnzhi Makhachkala<\/td>\n~\u20ac27 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\nLuka Modri\u0107<\/td>\nTottenham<\/td>\nReal Madrid<\/td>\n~\u20ac35 million (\u00a333 million)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\nMateo Kova\u010di\u0107<\/td>\nReal Madrid<\/td>\nChelsea<\/td>\nloan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

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The most emblematic deal remains the transfer of Luka Modri\u0107 from Tottenham Hotspur F.C.<\/strong> to Real Madrid in the summer of 2012, for around \u20ac35 million (\u00a333 million). Lemic was one of the key intermediaries in a transfer process spanning several months, playing a facilitating role with the Madrid decision-makers. The Croatian's contract included a release clause set at around \u20ac450 million (\u00a3387 million).<\/p>\n

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Lemic first reached an agreement with Davor \u0106urkovi\u0107, Modri\u0107's main agent, before gaining access to Real Madrid's coaching staff via Mijatovi\u0107 \u2014 including Jos\u00e9 Mourinho, through his agent Jorge Mendes. In the summer of 2011, the same Lemic\u2013Mijatovi\u0107 duo led the negotiations for the transfer of Samuel Eto'o from Inter Milan to FC Anzhi Makhachkala.<\/p>\n

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His name resurfaced more recently with the transfer of Alexander Isak<\/strong> in the summer of 2025. Lemic was among the advisers to the Swedish striker during his negotiations with Newcastle United F.C. This concluded with a move to Liverpool F.C. for \u20ac145 million (\u00a3125 million), a British record.<\/p>\n

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Which players are represented by Vlado Lemic?<\/h2>\n

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Beyond the big transfers, Vlado Lemic has supported footballers<\/strong> with very varied profiles over the course of his career. Over more than twenty years, the name of Vlado Lemic has been associated with numerous Serbo-Croatian players<\/strong> (Mateja Ke\u017eman, Branislav Ivanovi\u0107, Luka Modri\u0107, Mateo Kova\u010di\u0107) as well as with a South American pipeline<\/strong>, fed in particular by his brother Zoran (Heurelho Gomes, Jefferson Farf\u00e1n, Jonathan Reis, Alex).<\/p>\n

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Today, several players are on the books of the Universal Twenty Two agency<\/strong>, within which he operates. The portfolio reflects the agency<\/a>'s dual profile. On one side, a global superstar and a World Cup-winning goalkeeper<\/strong> in Alexander Isak and Emiliano Mart\u00ednez. On the other, young Argentine talents<\/strong> in Santiago Hidalgo and Tom\u00e1s Jacob, continuing the historic South American pipeline. This modus operandi remains constant with Lemic, who rarely positions himself as a player's sole representative and most often acts as an additional intermediary.<\/p>\n

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Alexander Isak<\/h3>\n

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\"Alexander<\/figure>\n

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Born in Sweden to Eritrean parents, Alexander Isak<\/strong> came through the AIK academy before joining Borussia Dortmund, then establishing himself at Real Sociedad. Newcastle signed him in 2022 and made him their star striker. In the summer of 2025, he pushed for his departure in lengthy negotiations with the English club. The saga concluded with a move to Liverpool for \u20ac145 million (\u00a3125 million), a British record. Vlado Lemic was among the advisers who worked on this deal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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On this deal, Lemic acted as a non-FIFA-licensed adviser. The licensed representative was his brother Zoran. Sven Mislintat was among the partners through whom official exchanges with the clubs passed, while Gonzalo Gaitan handled the operational side of the negotiations.<\/p>\n

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Emiliano Mart\u00ednez<\/h3>\n

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\"Emiliano<\/figure>\n

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A product of Club Atl\u00e9tico Independiente's academy, Emiliano Mart\u00ednez<\/strong> spent several seasons at Arsenal F.C. without breaking through, going out on repeated loans in England and Spain. Aston Villa F.C. signed him in 2020 and finally gave him a starting role. He then became Argentina's number one goalkeeper and won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he was named the tournament's best goalkeeper. His profile illustrates the Lemic network's ability<\/strong> to support players well after their professional debuts.<\/p>\n

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Santiago Hidalgo<\/h3>\n

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\"Santiago<\/figure>\n

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Born in Santiago del Estero, Santiago Hidalgo<\/strong> also came through Club Atl\u00e9tico Independiente's academy, where he broke into the first team as early as 2022. Spotted very early, in 2022 he was listed among the world's young talents born in 2005 identified by The Guardian. Toulouse F.C. confirmed his signing in the summer of 2025, for around \u20ac2.5 million. An Argentina youth international, he is one of the most promising profiles in the Universal Twenty Two portfolio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Tom\u00e1s Jacob<\/h3>\n

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\"Tom\u00e1s<\/figure>\n

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Born in Santa Fe, Tom\u00e1s Jacob<\/strong> came through Newell's Old Boys, where he made his debut in 2021. After several seasons split between the first team and the reserves, he joined Mexican club Necaxa in 2025, then signed for Atlanta United in MLS in late 2025. A versatile defender, able to play right-back, centre-back or midfield, he illustrates the continued presence of the South American pipeline in Vlado Lemic's network<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Nemanja Mati\u0107<\/h3>\n

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\"Nemanja<\/figure>\n

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Nemanja Mati\u0107<\/strong> built most of his career at Chelsea, with a spell at S.L. Benfica and then several seasons at Manchester United F.C. A Serbian defensive midfielder trained in Serbia, Nemanja is renowned for his positional sense and his ability to win the ball back, and he long wore the captain's armband for the Serbian national team. He now continues his career in Serie A, at U.S. Sassuolo Calcio, one of the most experienced profiles in the agency's portfolio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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What Vlado Lemic's career teaches us about the agent profession<\/h2>\n

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Vlado Lemic's career<\/strong> shows that in professional football, the network often counts as much as a qualification, and that a transfer rarely involves a single intermediary. The relationship of trust with decision-makers such as Frank Arnesen and Predrag Mijatovi\u0107 is the source of his influence, long before any official recognition.<\/p>\n

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The representation model occupied by the Serbian also says something about the sports agent profession<\/a>. The kind of player support Lemic was able to provide twenty years ago no longer really exists in the same way today. The framework has tightened, and the FIFA licence is now a mandatory requirement to represent a player within the rules. A network can open doors, but only the licence allows you to represent clients<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vlado Lemic, a former Yugoslav player who became one of the most influential intermediaries in the European transfer market. From Mateja Ke\u017eman to Luka Modri\u0107 and Alexander Isak, this behind-the-scenes sporting adviser has shaped some of football's biggest deals without ever holding a FIFA agent licence. An atypical profile that sheds light on the line between influence and the regulatory framework, at the heart of the profession the FIFA agent exam prepares you for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":69160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football-agent"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69168"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69169,"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69168\/revisions\/69169"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}