Bahía, the agency that opted for Fernando Torres and abroad

Chaos theory ensures that the flapping of a butterfly can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. The argument is based on the fact that after the flapping, there is a domino effect that derives a slight and tiny breeze in a wild wind capable of producing large tornadoes and cyclones. It could be said that in the world of representation in Spain, the butterfly flapped its wings in 1993, when a small sports producer that had been born within Antena 3 Televisión was sold to businessman Joaquín Martorell as a majority shareholder. At that time, Bahía Internacional was born, a production company specialized in sports that changed course until being, 27 years later, the main agency representing Spanish soccer players today.

Bahía is a giant cooperative that today allows itself the luxury of rubbing shoulders between the largest agencies such as Gestifute, by Jorge Mendes, and Stellar Football (Jonathan Barnett). His path to success, however, has been quite different. When he was born, Bahia did not have a superstar agenda. Among the first players they represented were former Madrid forward Javier Artero, who was one of the few Spaniards to play in the Argentine (San Lorenzo de Almagro) and Brazilian (Botafogo) league and Baba Sule, an U-17 world champion with Ghana that passed through Mallorca and Fuenlabrada. With its humble portfolio, Bahía begins to open offices abroad, such as in Argentina, China and the United Kingdom. A few months later, the agency believed that it was not taking advantage of this “branch” policy and made three major decisions that would mark the fate of Bahia.

The first, to eliminate all offices outside of Spain. The second, dedicate to represent only Spanish players and bet on the quarry. Thanks to this measure, a 14-year-old Fernando Torres became the jewel in the crown of the Bahia project, which had as a rule not to represent children under 16, but El Niño stood out so much that it forced a slight change in company policy. : Exceptionally, cadets would be represented who stood out excessively above the rest. And the third measure was another milestone in Spain: exporting players abroad without it being something exceptional.

Today, there are many Bahia stars who play or have played in the big leagues abroad (Fernando Torres, Ceballos, Javi Martínez, Kepa, Jesús Navas, Monreal …) but in its first experiences, the agency opted for the market Scottish, where they mentioned among others the mentioned Artero or Nacho Novo, who at the beginning of the century was considered a star in the Glasgow Rangers, along with Celtic, the great team of the country. Between 2000 and 2002, Bahia brought more than 50 footballers to the Scottish Premier. That opened a gap in Spanish football of which Bahia is very proud. Then came other markets and the internationalization of Spanish footballers, of which, today, there are hundreds spread across the globe. Nobody forgets that Bahia was the first.

José Antonio Martín Otín (Madrid, 09/20/1956), better known as Petón, is not only a soccer man, he is also a soccer player, and a lot. His popularity has increased in recent years due to his frequent appearances in some successful sports gatherings, whether on television or radio, but the co-founder of Bahía Internacional has been demonstrating for more than two decades that when history is well known (and if not known, strives to learn it), is committed to culture and navigates freely through the seas of literature, a soccer talk can be much more than a conversation at the bar counter. Listening to Petón talk about football, whether it's his Huesca, his Atlético or any other topic, is a pleasure. He knows the ins and outs of this sport well: he was a footballer in the eighties, he graduated in Information Sciences and in the early 90s he was one of the co-founders of Bahía Internacional, the most important company for the representation and intermediation of Spanish players in the world. Very few are so prepared to speak from so many points of view. If he is in love with the story of Federico García Lorca (who he knows like no one else), how could it not be a delight to listen to him.

For years removed from negotiations and direct representation of footballers, Petón is now CEO of Bahia, of which he has been a part since its inception. There are still those who believe that he is the head of the Bahia snake, such as Mendes, Raiola or Barnett in their respective companies, but nothing is further from reality. Its functions are focused on other fields, related to foundations and aid for the growth of grassroots football. Contrary to what many think, the benefits of Bahia, which functions as a giant cooperative, are not those of Petón, as Forbes magazine mistakenly pointed out a few years ago. Still, its image gives an almost unmatched cache and prestige to Bahia.

When Bahía noticed Fernando Torres, El Niño was literally that, a boy. He was 14 but his future was so promising that the agency decided to change his own policy and represent him when he was just a teenager. It is difficult to find higher hits. Three years later, at just 17, Fernando Torres had debuted with Atlético and had been one of the rojiblancos heroes in the return to the First Division after two years in hell (2000/02). He quickly became an idol for the mattress hobby and, like the club of his life, El Niño always demonstrated a loyalty and fidelity rare in the world of soccer with those who reached out to him when he was 14 years old: Bahía was your agency throughout your career.

A career full of successes, both sportingly for the player and business for Bahia. After years of success and goals at the Calderón, Fernando needed to grow as a footballer and found a beneficial solution for all parties. Atlético of those years was not the one of today and aspiring to do great things seemed very complicated. For this reason, in the summer of 2007, Torres packed his bags and went to Liverpool, who paid 36 million euros for him (it was the most expensive signing of the red until then, and the second most valuable of a Spanish, only surpassed by Mendieta). In the Merseyside, The Kid, as they nicknamed him, soon became a star: in his first season he was third in the Ballon d'Or and ended the year being the hero of La Roja with his goal in the Euro Cup final against Germany . Two years later the World Cup would arrive and in 2011, his departure to Chelsea, which now does, made Torres the most expensive transfer by a player born in Spain: 58 million euros.

In Stamford Bridge his numbers were not as good as in Anfield, but Torres got all the titles he lacked: the Champions League, in which he was decisive with his goal for Barça in the semifinals and the Europa League, in which he scored in the final . For ten days, between May 15, 2013 and 25 of the same month, Torres and his partner Juan Mata were the only ones in history who have managed to be reigning champions of the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League and the Europa League. Almost nothing.

After a brief loan at Milan, Torres returned to Atlético, to his home, in January 2014. The Prodigal Son returned to his home with the record he promised to bring when he left in 2007. He left to grow up and did not return with the empty hands. Already a veteran, he contributed a lot to his teammates in the four years he was under Simeone's orders and helped keep Atlético in its status of being one of the best in Europe (he played the 2016 Champions League final against Madrid in which caused a penalty). However, his career did not end at Wanda. A last big contract awaited him on the other side of the world, in Japan. A last year at Sagan Tosu was enough to be remembered by the Japanese club, which Niño himself saved from relegation on the last day with his goals. A legendary race. Bahia bet and came out winning. And a lot.

Like Torres, Javi Martínez left the club of his life to grow, not before leaving a good bag of bills in the coffers of San Mamés. When Bayern signed the 23-year-old from Navarre in 2012, the muniqueses paid a clause of 40 million euros, which at that time made the Spanish midfielder the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history (another record transfer of Bay). Since then, Martínez has won everything and has accumulated 19 titles with the Bavarians. According to reports from Germany, this will be the last season for the Spaniard in Munich and everything seems to indicate that Athletic will do everything possible to get him to wear his shirt again.

The other great sale in the history of Athletic occurred two years ago with the departure of Kepa, to Chelsea. The blues they paid no less than 80 million euros for the goalkeeper, which remains the most expensive transfer by a Spanish player so far (once again, Bahía scored the goal), and that would not have happened if a few months before Kepa had not starred in a soap opera for his renewal and his failed signing by Real Madrid. The whites were willing to pay the 20 million clause that Kepa had in January 2018 but at the last minute, after the player even passed the medical examination, they backed out. Kepa only took a few days to renew with Athletic, which this time did put a height clause, although that did not prevent him from packing his bags for London a few months later.