From the pitch to the boardroom: the rise of a women’s football agency
It begins with a startling story of pivots and ambition. A journey that moves from football to journalism, then to marketing, and finally to entrepreneurship. Charlotte Planes—born in Portugal, who once considered a haircut and a name change to play football—now stands as the first woman to helm a company representing football players.
unique Sports Management is the agency’s name, and it concentrates exclusively on female athletes. It already manages 40 careers, grew by about 40 percent last year, and anticipates a 30 percent rise in 2022. Planas expresses the core belief simply: I live the truth. I always love what I do for my players, he explains, because he could not do that for himself in the early days and wanted to test what the next generation of athletes could achieve.
At thirty, the founder’s path was driven by a lack of role models and a strong urge to pursue a different career. While studying journalism and business management, internships at a newspaper and initial reporting from Camp Nou offered early contact with football players. A clear discovery emerged: many lacked agents to handle their commercial interests. As a Nike model with deep community connections, she began serving as a liaison and, eventually, decided to dedicate herself wholly to what she believed could become a new profession.
After a few more chapters, including an invitation from former Barça president Sandro Rosell to join a project in Africa, Planas created Be Universal. This platform connected Spanish female athletes with brands for advertising campaigns. Years later, on the eve of a global pandemic, investment partners urged changes Planas did not fully agree with. That moment spurred the creation of Unik Sports Management, this time partnering with fellow agent Arkaitz Coca and committing exclusively to women’s football.
We entered with a clear idea drawn from experiences in men’s football: why require many people when a single agency can handle it all? He proposed a comprehensive, 360-degree offer—representation, marketing, side ventures or financial guidance, contract negotiations, and even help with major life purchases like housing or cars. The model earns income by taking a percentage of deals, aligning incentives with player success.
That approach led to collaborations with Leila Ouahabi, Claudia Pina, Patri Guijarro, Lola Gallardo, Estefanía Banini, and 35 other players in Spain, England, Italy, Portugal, France, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and even Japan.
The story mirrors a broader shift: women’s football is rising, and entrepreneurship in this space reflects a mix of cultural change, increased visibility, and growing commercial interest. Planas points to multiple forces driving the surge: the reevaluation of women’s roles across industries, rising consumer demand for women’s sports, and a willingness from brands to invest in athletes who represent those values. When exposure expands, the business side naturally follows.
There was a time when a player asked for boots only to be told no; Planas recalls that moment and contrasts it with today, when a player can land substantial brand deals and secure top equipment. Brand interest, she notes, has grown dramatically, a trend visible even in high-stakes events like the European Championship, where spectator engagement underscored the commercial potential of women’s football.
For Planas, the current challenge is negotiating prices that reflect a player’s growing value. She is confident that the market will continue to rise, predicting that some agreed rates will eventually fall short of new highs in the next few years.
Her outlook remains upbeat. The field will continue to evolve, and she is eager to pursue new ventures—all still connected to football. She is determined not to leave the industry and remains open to projects that contribute to its advancement, signaling a long and active future in this space.
first director
What began as a dream of becoming a player herself faced early life detours, yet Carlota Planas became the first female director of a football‑player agency. She emphasizes that the journey was not about personal glory but about opening doors for others. Her client list includes Leila Ouahabi, Claudia Pina, Patri Guijarro, and Lola Gallardo, among many others. In total, roughly 40 athletes from diverse regions rely on her leadership to navigate transfers and—yes—occasionally to secure a very early morning ride to pick up a car left unattended.