In a scenario worthy of a film, two Brazilians, Guilherme Decca and André Ikeda, have taken the reins of the English football club, Wakefield AFC. Originally from São Paulo, Decca and Ikeda developed a passion for English football from the 1990 World Cup.
Building on his success as a financial entrepreneur and founder of VO2 Capital, specializing in wealth management and real estate investments in the United States, Decca seized the opportunity to lead a European club. With the backing of Andre Ikeda, they sought to invest in lower division football teams, until they discovered Wakefield AFC, an opportunity worth seizing.
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An impressive comeback for Wakefield AFC thanks to the Brazilians
Located in the largest city in England without a professional football club, Wakefield AFC found itself in dire straits, with no stadium to play in and saddled with debt. However, the Brazilians saw untapped potential and decided to test some business theories in sports to achieve success.
Thanks to their efforts, the club managed to climb from the 11th to the 10th division in just 18 months, balancing its finances and obtaining an arena to play. Wakefield AFC also underwent a name change from Emley FC to Wakefield AFC, with new colours. In 2019, the Brazilians officially took control of the club and quickly made important decisions, including replacing the previous manager with the talented Gabriel Mozzini.
With ambitions high, Wakefield AFC are now aiming to reach the National League, leapfrogging another three divisions. Decca and Ikeda are confident that the size of the city’s population, with 110,000 residents in the city and 300,000 in the metropolitan area, will attract a large following to support their team. To achieve this, they implemented a major financial restructuring, cutting expenses in half while increasing the player budget. Additionally, they have significantly increased commercial revenue and aim to double that revenue for the next season.
Guilherme Decca, the one-man band behind the resurrection of Wakefield AFC
To support the club, Decca also became the sporting director of Wakefield AFC, handling match logistics, ticket sales and shirt sales. He travels regularly to England to closely follow the evolution of the club. On the other side, Ikeda focuses on performance analysis.
Apart from financial management, Decca also managed to settle the stadium issue. By abandoning a rented stadium, the club has found a new home in the heart of the city, which is also home to the local rugby club. Their relationship with the local rugby team has enabled them to gain access to the stadium, which is being renovated to host Wakefield AFC matches.
The two Brazilian entrepreneurs, determined to make their club a success, hope that these improvements will attract more fans to support their team in their quest for glory and a place at the top of English football.
