Volker Struth
Bundesliga Power Broker

Germany

€415mm

Key Facts

Also known as:
“Star-Berater”; co-founder of SportsTotal / Sports360.

Date of birth:
10 March 1966 – Pulheim near Cologne, Germany.

FIFA Agent Licence:
FIFA-licensed football agent / intermediary (registered in Germany; licence ID and year of issuance not publicly disclosed).

Other registrations:
Long-standing presence among Germany’s leading licensed intermediaries, operating via SportsTotal and later Sports360 in the big five European leagues.

Primary agency / company:
Sports360 GmbH – Executive Director & Co-founder (formerly SportsTotal).

Job Title:
Football Intermediary / Player Agent

Client capacity – Total market value:
Full-service elite agency (over 150 professional players and coaches) – Total market value approx. €400–415mm.

Languages:
German (native); fluent business English; experienced working with Spanish and other European clubs.

Base Locations (regions covered):

• Cologne (Köln), Germany – headquarters, Bundesliga & DACH focus.

• Mallorca, Spain – secondary base and meeting hub with clubs and clients.

• Operations: Germany, wider EU (especially Spain, England, Italy) plus selective projects in Saudi Arabia and North America.

Specialisms:
Elite professionals in top-5 European leagues; German internationals; Champions League-level midfielders and ball-playing centre-backs; high-value renewals; coach representation; long-term brand-building and commercial strategy.

Email:
info@sports-360.de

Phone / WhatsApp (office):
+49 221 7900 5914

Website / Socials:

• Website (agency): https://sports-360.de

• Media & partnerships: https://360-media.de

• Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/volkerstruth/

• Instagram (agency): https://www.instagram.com/sports360/

• X (agency): https://x.com/Sports360GmbH

• Facebook (foundation / group): https://www.facebook.com/Sports360Stiftung/

• LinkedIn (group media/marketing arm): https://www.linkedin.com/company/360media-gmbh

About Volker Struth

Volker Struth is widely regarded as the most powerful football agent in German football and one of the most influential intermediaries in Europe. Born in Pulheim near Cologne in 1966, he grew up in modest circumstances, raised mainly by his grandmother after a difficult childhood with little contact with his parents. Before entering football, he completed a carpentry apprenticeship, retrained as an industrial clerk and built several successful businesses in office supplies, carnival merchandise and football fan products, becoming a self-made millionaire long before his first transfer negotiation.

Encouraged by former Bayer Leverkusen general manager Reiner “Calli” Calmund during a visit to his house in Mallorca, Struth switched into player representation and founded SportsTotal in 2007. Within a few years, the agency had become a dominant force in the Bundesliga, representing stars such as Toni Kroos, Mario Götze, Marco Reus, Benedikt Höwedes, Niklas Süle and Dayot Upamecano, as well as top-level coach Julian Nagelsmann. SportsTotal later evolved into Sports360 GmbH, adding 360Media as an in-house media arm and a dedicated foundation, while keeping its core focus on elite athletes.

Internationally, Struth is best known for orchestrating some of the defining German transfers of the modern era: Kroos’ move from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid, Reus’ high-profile contract decisions at Borussia Dortmund, Götze’s then-record transfer to Bayern, and major deals for Upamecano, Süle, Timo Werner and others. Forbes has consistently ranked him among the top sports agents worldwide, and the highest-placed German, with hundreds of millions of euros in contract volume negotiated. He has also spoken openly about multiple heart operations and depression, adding a human and vulnerable side to his otherwise hard-edged professional image.

In 2021 he published his autobiography Meine Spielzüge – Aus der Kohlensiedlung zum erfolgreichsten Spielerberater Deutschlands (later also released in English as My Moves), giving rare behind-the-scenes insight into top-level negotiations. In 2025, after retiring from professional football, Toni Kroos became a shareholder and player advisor at Sports360 – a powerful symbol of the long-term trust and loyalty Struth has built with his flagship clients.

Highlights:

• Hard-nosed but structured negotiator, known for demanding yet fair deals and clear communication with clubs and players.

• Deep, long-standing network in the Bundesliga, La Liga and DFB structures, with strong relationships to key sporting directors and coaches.

• Proven track record of building careers from youth level to world-class status (Kroos, Reus, Götze) while staying largely in the background publicly.

• Early mover on integrated media and brand work via 360Media and the Sports360 foundation.

• Public advocate for more transparency and professionalism among agents and against disruptive, strike-style transfer tactics.

Career Snapshot

Origin story:
Self-made entrepreneur from a working-class background, former carpenter and office-supply businessman who was persuaded by Reiner Calmund to move into player representation, founding SportsTotal in 2007 and turning it into Sports360.

Milestones:

• 2007 – Founds SportsTotal, focused on Bundesliga players.

• 2012–2014 – Key influence on Marco Reus’ career decisions at the height of interest from Europe’s biggest clubs.

• 2013 – Brokers Mario Götze’s €37m move from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich, then a record for a German player.

• 2014 – Leads Toni Kroos’ move from Bayern to Real Madrid for around €25m, widely considered one of the bargains of the decade.

• 2012–2017 – Involved in major deals and renewals for Reus, Höwedes and others, with SportsTotal ranked among the leading agencies in Europe.

• 2021 – Oversees the transition from SportsTotal to Sports360, keeping key clients like Kroos and Upamecano on his side of the split.

• 2021 – Publishes Meine Spielzüge, one of the most in-depth books ever written by a football agent.

• 2023–2025 – Represents coach Julian Nagelsmann through his Bayern and Germany roles, with 360Media handling major commercial campaigns.

• 2025 – Brings Toni Kroos into Sports360 as shareholder and advisor after his retirement from club and international football.

Network strengths:

• Deep roots in the Bundesliga with particularly strong history at Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt.

• Trusted relationships with Real Madrid’s leadership through the Kroos deal and subsequent renewals.

• Access to DFB/DFL circles via clients such as Nagelsmann, Kroos and multiple German internationals.

• Growing reach into Saudi Arabia, the US and non-football sports via 360Media and Sports360 USA partnerships.

Support Team / Partners

• Sascha Breese – Executive Director, Sports360 – senior agent and long-time partner, co-representing high-profile clients including Toni Kroos.

• Martin Vontra – Executive / licensed intermediary – senior figure in Sports360’s Cologne headquarters.

• Luca Struth – Agent, Sports360 – focuses on younger Bundesliga players and internal project work.

• 360Media GmbH – in-house media and brand consultancy, running campaigns for Toni Kroos, Julian Nagelsmann, Angelo Stiller, Florian Wirtz and other athletes.

• Sports360 Stiftung – foundation arm for CSR and social projects linked to the Sports360 ecosystem.

• External legal and tax partners – specialist German and international firms for cross-border contracts, image-rights structures and regulatory work.

Client Roster

(Selected, non-exhaustive – focusing on prominent and recent clients.)

Top players and talents (current)

• Toni Kroos (retired – most recently Real Madrid) – Central Midfield – Germany – 04/01/1990.

• Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) – Forward – Germany – 06/03/1996.

• Niklas Süle (Borussia Dortmund) – Centre-back – Germany – 03/09/1995.

• Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich) – Centre-back – France – 27/10/1998.

• Julian Weigl (Al-Qadsiah FC) – Defensive Midfield – Germany – 08/09/1995.

• Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart) – Central Midfield – Germany – 04/04/2001.

• Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt) – Goalkeeper – Germany – 08/07/1990.

• Tom Bischof (Bayern Munich) – Attacking Midfield – Germany – 28/06/2005.

(Historic headline clients such as Marco Reus, Mario Götze and Benedikt Höwedes were represented earlier in their careers; some are now with other agencies or retired.)

Coaches/Staff represented (if any)

• Julian Nagelsmann (Germany national team) – Head Coach.

Notable former clients

• Marco Reus – Long-time client at SportsTotal; major influence on his decision to stay at Borussia Dortmund during peak transfer interest.

• Mario Götze – Represented from youth into his World Cup-winning years and the high-profile Bayern move.

• Benedikt Höwedes – Represented during his Schalke and Germany national-team peak, including the 2014 World Cup.

Notable Deals Led by Volker Struth

• 2012 – Marco Reus: Borussia Mönchengladbach → Borussia Dortmund – Approx. €17m, long-term deal that made Reus BVB’s key attacking star.

• 2013 – Mario Götze: Borussia Dortmund → Bayern Munich – €37m release-clause move, then the most expensive German player and a landmark intra-Bundesliga transfer.

• 2014 – Toni Kroos: Bayern Munich → Real Madrid – Around €25m fee; widely described as one of the great modern bargains and a pivotal move for both player and club.

• 2014–2017 – Marco Reus: contract extensions at Borussia Dortmund – High-stakes renewals negotiated amid intense interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Premier League clubs.

• 2016 – Timo Werner: VfB Stuttgart → RB Leipzig – Move that propelled Werner into Champions League football and set up his later big-money transfer to England.

• 2021 – Dayot Upamecano: RB Leipzig → Bayern Munich – €42.5m release-clause transfer, bringing one of Europe’s best young centre-backs to Bayern on a long-term deal.

• 2022 – Niklas Süle: Bayern Munich → Borussia Dortmund (free transfer) – High-profile Bosman, reshaping both clubs’ defensive plans.

• 2023–2024 – Julian Nagelsmann: coaching contracts with DFB – Agency work on Nagelsmann’s appointment and extension as Germany head coach.

• 2025 – Tom Bischof: Hoffenheim → Bayern Munich – Major youth transfer for one of Germany’s most promising attacking midfielders.

Track Record (last 3 seasons)

(Indicative, based on public information.)

• Total transfers completed: 30+ player and coach moves across the last three seasons, including top-flight transfers, loans and youth deals.

• Deals ≥ €10m: At least half a dozen, including headline moves or historic contracts linked to Götze, Kroos, Upamecano, Werner and other elite players.

• Clients in top-5 leagues: Dozens of clients active or recently active in the Bundesliga, La Liga and other top-five competitions.

• National team clients: Multiple German and French internationals (e.g., Kroos, Süle, Upamecano, Trapp) plus other capped players.

• Renewal/extension deals: Regularly negotiates complex renewals at clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, with tailored wage, bonus and clause structures.

• Aggregate client market value: Approx. €400–410m across Sports360’s football portfolio, late 2025.

Compliance & Accreditation

• FIFA-licensed intermediary operating via Sports360 GmbH in Cologne.

• Long-standing experience under DFB and FIFA regulatory frameworks, including the transition to modern agent regulations.

• Public advocate for more transparency in agent fees and stronger professional standards within the industry.

• Uses structured corporate entities (Sports360, 360Media, Sports360 Stiftung) with standard compliance, insurance and reporting procedures for a top-tier German agency.

Testimonials

• Reiner Calmund (ex-Bayer Leverkusen GM / mentor):
  “He’ll go to great lengths for his players. And when he has to, he’ll fight like a dog in the street.”

• Oliver Mintzlaff (club executive, paraphrased):
  Has described negotiations with Struth as tough and expensive, but emphasised that he is fundamentally fair and professional.

• Rudi Völler (DFB director, paraphrased):
  Has joked that he is always pleased when Struth arrives without a player, because negotiations with him are demanding.

• Volker Struth (on his own mentality):
  “Ohne eine gewisse Dreistigkeit wäre ich nicht da, wo ich heute bin” – “Without a certain boldness, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

• Media sentiment:
  German media routinely describe him as the most powerful agent in the country and “the man with the golden nose” for spotting and guiding top talent.

Press, Awards & Recognition

• Regularly ranked by Forbes among the top sports agents in the world and the leading German football intermediary by commission volume and contract value.

• Frequently listed by football outlets among the top 10–20 most powerful agents globally.

• Profiled extensively in German and international media – including Süddeutsche Zeitung, Stern, Express, Sport Bild, AS and the OMR podcast – as the benchmark figure for the German agent market.

• Cited in academic and CIES Football Observatory studies as one of the agents with the most clients in the big five European leagues.

• Author of Meine Spielzüge / My Moves, a widely noted insider account of modern football agency work.