Abdul Bai Kamara played for NEC Nijmegen and Sparta Rotterdam during his own professional football career. Now he is an independent ‘FIFA Football Agent’ with FSB Spielerberatung GmbH. There was a certain amount of preparation.

Abdul did not become a FIFA Agent overnight, but he has been preparing meticulously for the FIFA Football Agent exam, which became compulsory in 2023. “I looked at four alternative providers, but I am very happy that I chose LOYR’s exam training. Especially with sports law specialist Zabih Etemadi. He more than met my expectations. In fact, he goes (much) further than just covering the course material. He really takes you in depth and also gives you an exam strategy. During the exam, I knew exactly what to expect and I never ran out of time.”

While preparing for the exam, Abdul was still working as a scout but has since gone on to sign his own players as a licensed Football Agent. With his FIFA Football Agent license, Abdul was able to sign players for PSV Eindhoven, among others, during the last transfer window.

He concludes: “This exam training is a no-brainer. Zabih challenges you, gives detailed explanations, is clear and patient. Without his guidance I would not have passed this FIFA exam. This LOYR course deserves more exposure!

“Zabih advises our company about Dutch corporate jurisdiction and also prepares or revises the supporting legal documents. He is not your average lawyer in the sense that he has a very human approach and is always friendly and forthcoming. What I appreciate most is his time accuracy, transparency and openness in communication. With other lawyers communication is often distant and you don’t get the feeling they are very honest. But with Zabih you don’t have the feeling you are talking to a lawyer, and I mean that as a compliment. Whenever I approach him, I’m usually so deep into the details of an issue that it can be difficult to explain to a third party. Zabih asks appropriate questions and listens properly. Most importantly, he is very patient and has the ability to explain legal points of view in a very understandable way. He always comes up with suggestions how to solve the situation. That makes it easy to proceed with the assignment quickly. When I have questions or assignments, he comes back to me immediately to schedule a call or a personal meeting. His work is precise, systematic and very organised. Because Zabih is a young lawyer one could assume that he lacks experience, but the opposite is true. He can adapt to clients easily, as he reads people well. I would definitely recommend him.”

“Zabih advised me on a company law issue and on conflicts with my staff. From a business perspective it is nice for any entrepreneur to have a lawyer they can rely on. Sometimes things go wrong and you need legal advice very quickly.

The collaboration with Zabih is super. I like the fact you can talk to him in the normal way, rather than in legal jargon. I have had experiences with other firms where the approach is much more cold-blooded. I refer to that as a fridge effect. You tell your story, they immediately send you away and eventually you get a huge bill. Sometimes they use delaying tactics so that they can invoice more. Zabih is very to-the-point and you immediately receive advice in a language you understand as a business person. And I only pay for what I get.

Zabih has entrepreneurial blood. He knows how business works. If you call him and explain your problem in your own language, he is able to give an answer immediately. And his legal expertise is excellent.”

“As a financial consultancy we became embroiled in a dispute over non-payment. The case had been dealt with by a disputes committee where it had been brought by the other party. Zabih’s written substantiation of our side of the story was an important contribution which eventually led to the committee deciding in our favor. We are extremely happy with the result and with Zabih’s speed and professionalism.
 
The term ‘smooth talker’ can have a negative connotation, but Zabih is quick and professional in a positive sense. He had very quickly analyzed all our communications with the opposing party and he knew exactly where the crux of the matter lay. Other law firms would have taken a lot more time to get to that point. It was great that the lines of communication were so short.

Zabih has a pleasing personality. There is always time for a chat, even though I know that he is extremely busy. He is not a cold, detached lawyer, but instead has a sense of humor. That’s something I really like.”