The comfortable victory over Nürnberg provided a brief respite, a moment of calm on-pitch excellence before the next off-pitch storm. The decision about his representation weighed heavily on Mateo. It was a choice that would define not just his financial future, but the very trajectory of his life and career. Isabella's question had been the key, the clarifying principle that had cut through the noise of the agents' pitches: Who sees you?
Armed with this new clarity, Mateo realized that none of the three options were perfect. Branchini, the super-agent, saw only the product, a generational talent to be sold to the highest bidder.
Projekt M, the family agency, saw the person, but perhaps lacked the global muscle to navigate the complex world of international brand-building. And DSG, the digital firm, saw the brand, a collection of data points and engagement metrics to be optimized. Each offered a piece of what he needed, but none offered the whole.
