Author

Tom Claessens

articles
3
2021

Half of the Netherlands’ biggest pension funds invest in Chinese repression

1
Casper Rouffaer, Siem Eikelenboom & Tom Claessens

Casper Rouffaer, Siem Eikelenboom & Tom Claessens

China’s burgeoning economy has long made it popular with foreign investors, including pension funds. At the end of 2020 two funds, ABP and Pensioenfonds Zorg & Welzijn, had over €31 billion invested in China. But reports of serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang province have posed a dilemma: should the funds focus on their profits, or their reputations? FTM investigated what the Netherlands’ 24 biggest funds are doing in China.

The China Files ...

The treacherous world of sport transfers: why Stefan de Vrij dumped his agents

3
Pepijn Keppel & Tom Claessens

Pepijn Keppel & Tom Claessens

Football transfers are a shady business. A player is often in the dark whether his agent is indeed representing him in his contract negotiations, or is representing a football club. Unbeknownst to the players, agents earn millions. The players feel betrayed and badly done by, and all parties accuse one another. ‘There’s a lot of smoke in this transaction.’

...
2020

How the volunteers of data website Transfermarkt became influential players at European top football clubs

0
Pepijn Keppel & Tom Claessens

Pepijn Keppel & Tom Claessens

Data website Transfermarkt has become the unofficial appraiser of European top football. Its valuations can be found in annual reports and at the negotiating tables of major clubs. How trustworthy is its data?