Björn Bezemer
Elite ROOF Forward Architect
Germany €1bn+
Key Facts
Nationality/residence: German / Bremen & Grünwald (Munich), Germany
Also known as: Bjoern Bezemer
Date of birth: 6 July 1982
FIFA Agent Licence: FIFA Football Agent (licensed) – FA registration FARA1148, intermediary no. IMS001444
Other registrations: Long-standing intermediary on DFB and other European federation lists; involved in transactions recorded by FA, Turkish FA, Norwegian FA and others
Primary agency / company: ROOF – Representatives Of Outstanding Footballers (co-founder & Managing Director; formerly arena11 sports group)
Job Title: Football Intermediary / Player Agent / Co-founder & Managing Director, Head of Klutch Global Football
Client capacity: Elite multi-club portfolio within ROOF – Players – Total market value: approx. €1.07bn+ across ≈150 clients (2024)
Languages: German (native), English (fluent); works within ROOF’s multilingual team (agency languages include Spanish, French and Dutch)
Base Locations: Bremen & Grünwald/Munich (Germany HQ) – London – Madrid
Specialisms: Elite forwards and attacking players; Bundesliga & Premier League; African and German internationals; high-complexity transfers and renewals
Email: info@roof.football
Phone / WhatsApp: +49 (0)89 820 400 30 (ROOF office)
Website / Socials (via ROOF):
• Website: https://roof.football
• LinkedIn (ROOF): https://www.linkedin.com/company/roof-football/
• Instagram (ROOF): https://www.instagram.com/roof.football/
• X (agency): https://x.com/ROOFfootball
• Facebook (ROOF): https://www.facebook.com/roof.football
About Björn Bezemer
Björn Bezemer is one of European football’s most influential player agents, best known as the long-time advisor of Sadio Mané and co-architect of ROOF’s rise into a top-tier global agency. A former lower-league player from Bremen, he moved from the pitch into representation in the mid-2000s and founded arena11 sports group in 2007, focusing on meticulous, data-informed advice for Bundesliga players at a time when the agent market was still relatively fragmented.
Corporate records show him as managing director of arena11 GmbH from 2011 onward, based out of Munich and later Grünwald, where ROOF remains headquartered today. Over the next decade he built arena11 into a powerful football agency, co-leading it with Andreas Sadlo and representing a growing stable of Bundesliga and Premier League talent.
Bezemer’s real breakout moment came through his work with Sadio Mané. He guided the Senegalese forward from Red Bull Salzburg to Southampton in 2014 and then to Liverpool in 2016, where Mané became one of the Premier League’s defining wide forwards and, for a time, the most expensive African player in history. He later played a central role in the complex 2022 move that finally took Mané from Liverpool to Bayern Munich – a transfer Bayern’s sporting director has repeatedly traced back to a conversation in his garden with Bezemer and ROOF colleague Daniel Delonga during talks over Serge Gnabry’s renewal.
When Mané’s Bayern spell stalled, Bezemer again became pivotal, travelling on behalf of ROOF to negotiate with Al Nassr and delivering the 2023 move to Saudi Arabia in a market where not every agent had the relationships or risk appetite to operate. At the same time he maintained his longstanding Bundesliga network, advising players such as Serge Gnabry, Konrad Laimer, former Brazil international Naldo and others, as well as being involved in contract and transfer discussions around Liverpool-related deals including Naby Keïta and Marko Grujić.
In 2021 arena11 merged with Spielerrat and other boutiques to form ROOF – Representatives Of Outstanding Footballers – consolidating their combined rosters into one of the most valuable agencies in the European game, with around 150 players and coaches and an aggregate portfolio value above €1bn. Bezemer is widely cited as ROOF’s co-founder and managing director and, following United Talent Agency’s acquisition of ROOF, he has also taken on the role of head of Klutch Global Football, plugging ROOF’s players directly into U.S. entertainment and commercial opportunities alongside athletes represented by Rich Paul.
Colleagues and former clients consistently highlight his calm, detail-oriented approach and his willingness to stay in the background while players take the spotlight. Ex-client Naldo has described him as a model of correctness and someone he still turns to for advice as he builds his own agency career. Bezemer himself has stressed long-term planning over short-term wins and has been outspoken about the need for proper documentation and contractual clarity in high-value transfers, lessons he shares with younger agents and players.
Today, Bezemer’s portfolio within ROOF skews heavily toward elite forwards, attacking midfielders and high-profile national-team players in the Bundesliga and Premier League, as well as selected La Liga and Saudi Pro League clients. He is at the centre of ROOF’s biggest transfer stories – from Mané’s multi-step career path to Liverpool, Bayern and Al Nassr, through marquee renewals and moves for stars like Kai Havertz, Niclas Füllkrug and other German internationals.
Highlights
Negotiation style – Calm, low-drama and relationship-driven; comfortable handling politically sensitive deals where club stars compete for the same positions (for example Mané and Gnabry at Bayern).
Network – Deep ties in Bundesliga and Premier League boardrooms, with documented work on Liverpool, Bayern, Dortmund and Fenerbahçe deals, plus a long history of wider European links via arena11.
Client tier – Represents and advises Champions League and national-team players including Sadio Mané, Serge Gnabry, Niclas Füllkrug and others within ROOF’s wider roster that features Virgil van Dijk, Kai Havertz and Marc-André ter Stegen.
Compliance focus – Long history on FA and federation registers with transparent intermediary numbers; experienced in navigating different regulatory regimes (FIFA, FA, DFB, TFF, NFF etc.) for cross-border transfers.
Strategic vision – Co-founded a leading German agency, helped engineer its merger into ROOF and then its sale into UTA/Klutch, giving clients access to global commercial, media and content ecosystems.
Career Snapshot
Origin story:
Ex-lower-league footballer from Bremen who transitioned into sports business, founded arena11 sports group in 2007 and grew it into a major Bundesliga-focused agency before co-creating ROOF via merger.
Milestones:
2007–2011 – Builds arena11 from a start-up representation outfit into a structured GmbH, taking over as managing director and basing the operation in Munich.
2012–2016 – Expands client base in Germany and abroad; begins representing Sadio Mané, then at Salzburg, and helps drive his moves to Southampton in 2014 and Liverpool in 2016.
2017–2020 – Broadens Premier League footprint through work on Liverpool-related deals (including Naby Keïta and Marko Grujić) and other international transfers, reflected in FA and federation transaction reports.
2021 – Helps combine arena11 and other boutiques into ROOF, headquartered at Bavariafilmplatz 7 in Grünwald; ROOF quickly emerges as one of the most valuable football agencies in Europe.
2022 – Plays a key role in Sadio Mané’s transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich, turning a garden-conversation with Hasan Salihamidžić into a completed €30m+ move.
2023 – Leads negotiations as Mané exits Bayern for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, handling a high-pressure move after a difficult season in Germany.
2024 – ROOF is acquired by United Talent Agency; Bezemer becomes head of Klutch Global Football within the UTA ecosystem while continuing as ROOF co-founder and managing director.
Network strengths:
Clubs – Strong working relationships with Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, West Ham United, Fenerbahçe and multiple Bundesliga and Premier League clubs, evidenced by recorded intermediary roles and transfer coverage.
Academies – Longstanding ties to German talent pipelines (for example Mainz, Werder Bremen, Schalke, Hamburg) via players represented from youth to senior level, plus African pathways through Mané’s development from Metz and Senegal.
Regions – Core focus on DACH and UK markets, with consistent activity in Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Scandinavia through documented transfers and fee reports.
Support Team / Partners
ROOF co-founders & MDs – Works alongside fellow managing directors such as Steffen Asal, Daniel Delonga and Thorsten Wirth to shape ROOF’s strategy, staffing and major negotiation teams.
Contract & finance specialists – Supported by ROOF’s in-house contract and finance leads for detailed modelling of salary, bonuses, image rights and performance-based add-ons.
External legal counsel – Collaborates with firms that advised on UTA’s acquisition of ROOF and continue to support complex multi-jurisdiction deals.
Scouting & analytics – Access to club and independent data providers through ROOF and UTA/Klutch; supports decision-making on when to move players and which leagues fit their profiles.
PR & brand partners – UTA and Klutch’s wider media, content and brand advisory teams, allowing players to integrate on-pitch careers with sponsorships, content deals and post-career projects.
Client Roster
Players – Total market value: Approx. €1.07bn+ across ≈150+ ROOF clients
Top players and talents (current)
(ROOF’s roster is shared across partners; the following are key players Bezemer is closely associated with through long-term advisory or major deals.)
Sadio Mané (Al Nassr) – Winger / forward – Senegal – 10/04/1992
Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern München) – Winger – Germany – 14/07/1995
Niclas Füllkrug (West Ham United) – Centre-forward – Germany – 09/02/1993
Kai Havertz (Arsenal FC) – Attacking midfielder / forward – Germany – 11/06/1999
Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona) – Goalkeeper – Germany – 30/04/1992
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool FC) – Centre-back – Netherlands – 08/07/1991
Konrad Laimer (FC Bayern München) – Central / defensive midfielder – Austria – 27/05/1997
Various Liverpool-linked players (for example Naby Keïta, Marko Grujić and others in historic FA files) – Midfielders – multiple nationalities – 1990s generation
(Exact individual player–agent pairings can shift over time inside ROOF; the above list reflects players Bezemer is explicitly linked with in reporting or official documents.)
Coaches/Staff represented (if any)
Naldo – Former Bundesliga defender; now a players’ advisor who still describes Bezemer as a mentor and reference point for complex cases.
Notable former clients
Nicolai Müller – Winger – Worked with Bezemer on contract discussions at Hamburg during a key extension phase.
Notable Deals Led by Björn Bezemer
2014 – Sadio Mané: Red Bull Salzburg → Southampton, then-record transfer for the club and Mané’s first major Premier League move.
2016 – Sadio Mané: Southampton → Liverpool, approx. £34m transfer on a five-year deal, making him the most expensive African player in history at that time.
2017–2018 – Naby Keïta & Marko Grujić to Liverpool, with Bezemer and arena11 listed as intermediaries on official FA documentation.
2022 – Sadio Mané: Liverpool → Bayern Munich, deal in the €30–40m range with add-ons, widely attributed to Bezemer’s initiative and his relationship with Bayern’s sporting leadership.
2023 – Sadio Mané: Bayern Munich → Al Nassr, high-profile move to Saudi Pro League with Bezemer fronting negotiations for the player.
2023–2024 – Niclas Füllkrug: Werder Bremen → Borussia Dortmund → West Ham United, with ROOF orchestrating his progression from Bundesliga star to Premier League striker.
2024 – UTA / Klutch acquisition of ROOF, with Bezemer becoming head of Klutch Global Football and integrating ROOF’s player roster into a global sports-and-entertainment platform.
Track Record (last 3 seasons)
Total transfers completed: Numerous ROOF-handled moves across top-5 European leagues, Saudi Pro League and other competitions, including multiple Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga deals where Bezemer was directly involved or oversaw negotiations.
Deals ≥ €10m: At least a dozen headline transactions at or above the €10m mark, including the Bayern and Al Nassr moves for Mané and recent high-value transfers for Füllkrug and other ROOF stars.
Clients in top-5 leagues: Around 150 players and coaches advised by ROOF, with the majority active in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1, and Bezemer centrally involved at managing-director level.
National team clients: Multiple German internationals (Havertz, Füllkrug, ter Stegen, Gnabry, Laimer via club level) plus other national-team regulars such as Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mané.
Renewal/extension deals: Ongoing renewals and restructuring for Bayern, Liverpool and other clubs’ stars, with Bezemer often at the table when ROOF clients renegotiate late-contract or post-peak packages.
Compliance & Accreditation
FIFA-era licensed football agent; listed as a licensed agent and as an FA-registered football agent under FARA1148 and intermediary number IMS001444.
Longstanding intermediary in Germany and other UEFA jurisdictions, appearing in transaction reports published by national federations.
Operates within ROOF’s group-level compliance and risk-management framework, aligned with UTA and Klutch policies around conflicts of interest, transparency and data security.
Testimonials
“Ich habe viel von meinem Ex-Berater gelernt … er gibt mir immer wieder auch Tipps.” – Naldo, former Bundesliga defender, on Bezemer’s mentorship and professionalism.
“Dann sagte Björn Bezemer, sein Berater, dass dieser Transfer möglich wäre …” – Hasan Salihamidžić recalling how the Mané-to-Bayern deal was sparked in his garden.
“We talk a lot with Liverpool but currently we are not talking about a contract extension.” – Bezemer on Mané’s situation before leaving Liverpool, illustrating his candid communication style.
“I was certain that Bayern would get in touch … but they didn’t, I was really surprised.” – Bezemer on Bayern initially failing to move for Mané despite his performances against them.
Press, Awards & Recognition
Forbes feature highlighting arena11, led by Bezemer and Andreas Sadlo, as one of the most valuable sports agencies globally and noting their youth- and community-focused “GameChanger” initiative.
Multiple legal and business-media releases describing ROOF, co-founded and managed by Bezemer, as one of Europe’s leading football agencies by number of top-league clients and portfolio value.
Global sports-business coverage of the UTA / Klutch integration emphasising his new role as head of Klutch Global Football and the integration of ROOF’s roster with U.S. sports-entertainment operations.
Long series of feature pieces on Mané’s transfers to Southampton, Liverpool, Bayern and Al Nassr that cite Bezemer as his long-time agent and key decision-maker behind the scenes.
