Kia Joorabchian
| Kiavash Joorabchian | |
|---|---|
Kia Joorabchian
|
|
| Born |
Kiavash Joorabchian 14 July 1971 Tehran, Iran |
| Residence | St John's Wood, London |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Other names | Kia Joorabchian Kia Kavash |
| Citizenship | Iran, Britain, Canada |
| Alma mater |
Shiplake College University of London |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Organization | Sports Invest UK Ltd |
| Spouse(s) | Tatiana Alonso (m. 2007) |
Kiavash "Kia" Joorabchian (Persian: کیاوش جورابچيان) is an Iranian-born British-educated businessman largely involved in association football.
In the register of directorships at Companies House in London, Joorabchian gives two nationalities, Canadian and British, born on 14 July 1971.
Although routinely described in the press as a football agent, Joorabchian is not a licensed agent. The involvement of unlicensed agents in transfers in the English Premier League is prohibited by the Football Association. Joorabchian does not himself claim to be an agent, saying "I think the agency business is very different". He describes his business as advising players on their rights and clubs on transfers and contracts.
Joorabchian is also involved in the 'third-party' ownership of players, describing himself as an investment manager. In October 2008, he said, "I manage the investment group and obviously when the investment group is profitable, as fund manager, you also get a cut". In 2009 it was reported that the unnamed investors represented by Joorabchian were understood to own the economic rights to 60 or 70 players across Europe and South America.
Kia Joorabchian was born in Tehran, Iran, the son of Iranian car-dealer businessman, Mohammed Joorabchian. According to Joorabchian his father's uncle had once run the biggest car manufacturer in the Middle East. The Joorabchian family emigrated from Iran following the fall of the Shah in 1979. They went to the United Kingdom and then Canada, returning to England when Joorabchian was 12. His father ran car dealerships, including Medway Autos in Kent.
Joorabchian was educated at Shiplake College in Oxfordshire and then at a school in Golders Green, north London. He went on to study chemistry and business studies at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, dropping out after his second year.
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