Semi-pro/pro football or IB

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Bet on yourself train hard you’ll probably regret not going fir the football dream and it’s a way cooler story to try and fail when going for IB Intervuews if football doesn’t work out 

agree, try football and work harder than anyone else would.  chase the dream.

I would say go play football. What you have is a talent that many people (including myself) desire to have and you have a pretty good chance to go play at a competition every person on this forum watches. Even if you fail (I really hope you don't), you will still be able to get a decent job either in finance if you complete your degree or in sports as a coach/PT even if you don't complete your degree.

If you do choose to get a degree and really want to play football at the same time either carve out the time whilst in college or find a reputable school that will let you study part time like LSE (https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/uolip/online-taught-programmes/onlin…) which may not be as helpful in finance as a in-person degree but enables you to continue both your interests and enables you to hedge your bets. I don't personally know what benefits/disadvantages this pathway may present so if anybody else wants to add on, feel free. 

Good luck, hopefully you make it to the world cup.

I wonder what country would “guaranteed” allow a first/second league top 5 league player to make the team but also would guaranteed make the World Cup consistently making ur goal realistic . The only country I can think of would be like fuckin Australia or something

When I worked in IB I worked with a few people who were pro athletes for a few years before going the IB route. None at a super high level but were practice squad type players for a bit and then either went to MBA or straight to IB.

Would imagine it’s an interesting enough background to stand out and get interviews and obviously shows you have the work ethic to succeed

There’s a French former pro rugby player who is working at BofA in Paris after having done a MBA FYI

I promise you bro you will forever regret not giving football 110%. When I was younger I had academy trials at norwich city and got to the final round but pulled out because I didn’t like a couple people in the academy (i was 11). After that I started playing less and less and lost the talent. I still regret not sticking to it to this day.

You are much older and likely have a much bigger chance to make it pro than I ever did. This is an opportunity millions of people around the world would die for.

When you’re 90 on your death bed, you ain’t gonna be wishing you made more money, but you will 100% think “what if I helped my country win a world cup”.

Go for football and if it doesn't work out, go for MBA and then into IB. Finance will always be there but being a pro athlete is an extremely rare opportunity and probably a lot more fun.

Sounds to me that you already be in pro team youth squad by 18 if you were to make it in top 5 European league  (Div 1 or 2).  Most of the guys who make it are pro by 18 and not in the Uni. 

Go for football, it is not even close. I guarantee you that if this doesn't work out (I hope it does for you) you will have a very, very easy time going back into IB at a later age.

Won't give too much info as to not dox but I played semi pro for a while before pursing IB/PE/HF route.

I don't know you but I decided to stop as the money wasn't worth it anymore, just like every other thing it becomes like a "job" I'm sure "high-level" college athletes will agree that even if it's a sport you love it can eventually become mundane and work-like. Furthermore sports is a high risk, high reward career you need to take into account that your career could be over in 3 years due to injury or whatever.

Despite this if money is not important at all go for football, you will always have a "what if" if you decided to quit. Just make sure you realise that it is a short career, even if things go decent and you play 2nd tier for your whole career, what will you do after that? By that time the path to IB will be much harder due to your age. 

All things to consider, best of luck. 

When you say that you estimate you would be in a first or second league pro team in Europe... you mean you think you can make it to a Champions League or Europa League team? If you honestly believe that, then it seems pretty clear to me that you should give it a shot.

Step 1: Go play pro football at least for 2-3 years. If it seems like you are doing well enough, at the minimum on track to make it to a Europa League spot, then just stay on for as long as you want to. Even into your early 30s if you want.

Step 2: Decide if you still really want to do IB. If you make it to a top tier team then I am going to assume you'll be too busy bathing in champagne and fucking supermodels to bother. But if you're on a lower tier UEL team and an IB career still looks attractive to you, then...

Step 3: Go for a US MBA and try to recruit for an Associate position here. Pays better than European IB, and the experience will be seen as valuable.

Step 4: Move back to Europe if/when you want.

Not gonna dox myself, but I was in a very similar scenario. However, I was playing professionally within European leagues. I'll be honest with you, coming from someone who understands the worlds of professional football and investment banking. If you're 18 or older and haven't secured a full-time contract with a professional team, my suggestion is to pursue investment banking.

Semi-pro football is a challenging environment where breaking out is tough. There are over 250 million semi-pro/academy football players worldwide. Less than 0.5% of them will ever secure professional contracts, this percentage drops even further to 0.012% when considering making it into top leagues like the EPL, La Liga, and Serie A. Making it out of semi-pro football in Europe is extremely hard. Most likely you could find yourself stuck in a repetitive cycle of going on trials to multiple clubs or remaining semi-pro/non-league football until you're over 30, needing a second, less demanding, low-paying job to support your football aspirations. This is because you won't have the time or energy for a high-paying, demanding job, given your commitment to your football career.

Also, escaping the semi-pro level is heavily influenced by your position and genetics, which isn't really discussed. Traditionall , the fortunate few who've managed to make it out are often prolific strikers who are consistently scoring 25+ goals per season in lower leagues or 6ft3+ center-backs. 

Lets say yo do manage to secure a professional contract, you're likely to receive a low wage (you mentioned your not money motivated so I guess it docent matter but you got to live and support your family) and sign 1-year contracts contingent on your performance. If, by some rare chance, you're among the few who make it to a top league, you'll likely be around 29 or older, nearing the end of your career. This means your prime earning potential within the game has mostly concluded.

Furthermore, the responsibility of advancing your career largely falls on you, as most agents prefer to work with non-semi-pro players due to their limited financial gain. You'll probably have to find an agent who's willing to help you without expecting compensation, likely a lower-tier agent which faces its own set of problems such as minimal connections to advance your career.

In essence, as a semi-pro footballer, you're at the bottom rung of the football ladder. Conversely, in the elite job market, you're a top-tier candidate, especially if you've attended a prestigious university (especially Bocconi if you're in Italy). I can speak from a professional player's perspective, and I can affirm that recruiters and bankers highly regard top-tier athletes due to the discipline they've cultivated, which can translate well into investment banking.

But If you're passionate about football, go for it, but maintain a realistic outlook. I don't mean to criticize, but if you were truly exceptional, you'd be part of a pro club or fully committed to pursuing a football career rather than opting for European university education. If you were attending an American university, it would make more sense, as you'd go through the D1 pipeline and become eligible for the MLS pro-draft post-graduation.

However, follow your aspirations if you're determined; it's your life, and football offers only a limited window of opportunity. I have numerous friends who were part of top academy teams, some secured pro contracts, but got released at 18 or 21, and many of them are struggling to find teams now. Always remember, in football, once you're past 18, they're already scouting the next young talent, possibly a 14 or 16-year-old. The older you get, the tougher it becomes. This isn't the case in fields like investment banking, where seniority often leads to greater success. Ultimatley, I would love to have a fellow footballer working in my group, also (as mentioned) European IB often lacks athletes breaking in due to European athletes not needing to go into a college system to play professionally so there are so few of us! Again works to your benefit!

Wishing you all the best!

One injury and it's over

Agree with comments above from Analyst 1 in IB-Cov. Also, if you aren't playing for your national team in their youth squads today, how do you expect to get into the senior team?

Unfortunately, you likely aren't as good as you think you are. Being below Serie C after age 20 you'll be one of thousands competing for a very small cohort of clubs. There are very few cases of folks who "broke" through to top level football once they were in their mid-20s (Drogba, Luca Toni, and some others). Also, the threat of injury and/or failing a medical increases as you age. Think about every major club academy at the U18 level. Every year they are "graduating" 20 to 30 players. The vast majority of these do not "make it" in a top 5 league. I don't know how old you are but if you haven't already been on trial at major Italian clubs (so not the Juve/Milan/Inter sphere, more like Atalanta, Genoa, Empoli, Torino, Udinese) and gotten positive feedback you're likely not at that level.  

If you're serious about playing, you should be pushing hard for trials at clubs all over Europe not just Italy.

I had trials with Roma, Vicenza, Empoli, and Genoa, and a few others outside Italy. I don't regret playing the game for as long as I could but injuries & life took precedent at some point. Good luck

100% go for football. Having that in your past gives you a very unique back story so even if it doesnt work out, you will have the satisfaction of having tried and likely build some valuable connections along the way. 

You can always do an MBA after your pro-football career. There’s an Eagles player at GS this summer who won a Super Bowl a few years back. (Different kind of football, but still)

Go play ball brother. Follow your heart.

Hey there!

I'd personally stick with the pro-football route as this can open a lot of interesting doors for you in high finance (sport-relates PEs/SWFs in MENA), which otherwise are quite hard to come by

So maybe ib is not the easiest route for you after the pro-football career, but that's by no means a must for a successful career in high finance

Play football. I can guarantee with your background, banks will offer you a job at the entry level after your career ends if you still want to do it. It's very common for ex-military or ex-professional athletes to start their next careers in their mid to late 30s. Wall Street loves people like you. 

Try football and if in your mid 20s you’re not on the right trajectory get an MBA and recruit. There are plenty of 30 year old associates.

going to take a different stance from most other responses - go to IB unless you think you're good enough to make a decent amount or a good amount above average wage.

Most people here are trapped in the IB hamster wheel and of course they'll recommend you to take soccer, winning world cups, playing in serie A etc. 

but I know people who's sporting career didn't take off well and they decided to do something after 35+ etc. like coaching and even worse, food delivery.

you have to understand that sports (even other alternative careers such as musician, e-sports, model etc.) as a career has A LOT of risks and your earnings are mostly concentrated when you're still able to perform (20 to at most 40). thereafter, you have not much going for you other than to go to more "strategic" areas (Coach etc.) This is very much unlike IB where you get a sector/product skillset, contacts/network, reputation which you can take with you into your 40s as you become senior

whatever decision you choose, make a firm decision never to regret it and you'll be fine. 

Play football while you’re young. You can always be a banker. You cannot always be a footballer. 

Try football until you’re in your mid-20’s. If it’s not looking good by 27, get your MBA.

I’ve know several guys who went from pro sports to IB. All used their MBA to transition.

Take your shot at football, and see where it goes. I lost athletics as a career option late in college due to injury. I miss it more than anything. I also know I will never be at that level again bc I am old now.
 

You’d be a top candidate for a US MBA program as a former pro athlete. I know several guys who took that path to PE or VC. 

Coming from someone who was in your shoes in a few years ago playing at the top level in my country, here are a few things to consider:

1. Why do you want to be a professional football player? Like really, is it the money, fame/status, childhood dream, social pressures, etc.. (get clear)

2. The reality of professional football is a physical grind way more than a mental one... do you think you will be mentally as stimulated playing football for the next 10 years compared to a career in finance / business? Even if you do make the EPL prems or MLS or La Liga etc, how much game time do you think you will be getting? Starting 11?

3. Grass is greener syndrome... consider your options right now, where do you want to be in 10 years - 20 years, what type of lifestyle would you want to have at that stage, family/kids, travel, friends, etc, generally speaking, you probably have more options that will get you to your destination other that football, but it seems you have this idea its all there is because you've been playing for such a long time.

4. If I were you, and loved football more than anything else, I would say do this...

Dedicate the next 6 months into training and playing football as much as you can, study the top players and teams in your position, network with pro's, scouts and research into the recruiting process (chat gpt the heck out of this) anyway you can, choose the top 3 leagues you want to play for, tee up as many trials as you can and take a friend with you to record all your gameplay, make a football montage of all your best plays and upload the content to tik tok / youtube and send it to scouts / recruiters, when you get your shot wherever that might be, say a prayer and kill it man, you'll know after that if that life is really for you or not

Good luck

I thought that you were talking football football, you know, the kind that men play.  I clicked into the thread expecting to say that it was a no-brainer and to play football.  Still probably go w/ soccer over IB.  You can probably move back to IB later in life if you want to.  Have seen a few lower-level professional athletes in banking and it's generally played very well in interviews.  Also, just like anywhere else, there are a lot of sports fans in banking, so interviewers will think it's cool. 

Go for the football career. If you fail: MBA —> IB

i'd pick footie

take the football dream and run with it. you can make serious money even for just a years and it’s worth it. every bank likes pro athletes and you don’t know what professional opportunities/doors will open through pro football until you try it

Ngl i think youre kinda of being too optimistic with your football career trajectory. Agree with other posters with a similar sentiment. Sometimes you gotta be realistic with yourself you know?