‘Our aim is to get crypto investors to participate in the player’s development. Our goal is to boost European clubs by going out to find these unknown young prodigies with a certain gift and ability but no experience‘. These were the words of Cisse Douduo, founder and CEO of AAD Invest Group, taken from an interview with Markets Herald in 2022. During that interview, the CEO of AAD said they were looking to acquire clubs in the second and third tiers of English, Spanish or French football.
Two years later, the group have been announced as the new owners of Belgian second tier side Deinze. They are, according to the groups website, the only club that they own. The new owners website has a lot of buzz words around what they do, although examples of this are few and far between. From the 2022 interview, it appears they want to create a system where fans, through crypto currency, can invest in players. Furthermore, they will use their own Metaverse, METAAD 7, as a means of scouting and unearthing talent. They claim that the current system within European football is missing out on talents from Africa and Asia, yet they have the answer.
For those outside of the Crypto and Metaverse environment, it is very difficult to understand how this is different to what is currently out there. Many teams in Belgium, such as Union St Gilloise and Cercle Brugge, have been using data and scouting to unearth players that have been overlooked. What Deinze will do differently remains to be seen. Then the idea of investing in players, through crypto, also sounds optimistic given that this is a relatively small club in the Belgian second division. How much interest can they generate in this?
However, at least, on the surface, AAD have saved Deinze from being another lost Belgian club. For that, fans will likely give them the benefit of the doubt to begin with. As CEO they have moved communications manager Céline Mawet into a position that oversees the day to day running of the club. Mawet is only 28 and will face a lot of questions from the media on what AAD are and will bring to Belgian football.
According to their website, the groups mission is:
Our goal is to build the sport of tomorrow by putting athletes and fans at the heart of the game. Revealing talent, giving everyone the chance to succeed regardless of their origin, and challenging outdated recruitment models. We want to foster the development of amateur and semi-professional sport by unlocking new growth opportunities through new technologies.
And by democratizing access to investment in sport, we help athletes, clubs and organizations to develop, perform and prosper. Together, we are building a virtuous and sustainable sports ecosystem that connects sports stakeholders, inspires fans and shapes a promising future for global sport.
On paper this sounds promising and somewhat confusing. Whether they can be successful will be determined over the next few months.
GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson – Author of The Africa Cup of Nations: The History of an Underappreciated Tournament
