A failed attempt to see a Serie A match in Italy gave university friends JONATHAN NENICH and MATIAS ARRAEZ the idea to make a platform that would ease the experience of planning a football vacation for European supporters. The two created Goaltrotters, which gives fans all the information needed to have the full experience at a match in a foreign country. Information regarding tickets, transportation and hotels is all in the user’s hands, as well as stadium museums and local pubs affiliated with the clubs. Currently available in French and Spanish, Goaltrotters will be available in English by Friday and the team is hoping to expand to American clubs soon. SBD Global spoke with Goaltrotters President Nenich about the app and its future.
On how the project got started ...
Jonathan Nenich: I met Matias Arraez two years ago, at the beginning of my university education. We wanted to go to a game in Turin, to see a Juventus-Inter Milan Serie A game. We never managed to do that. The site was in Italian and impossible to understand, so difficult to book the tickets. So, Matias explained to me his project: to create a book where supporters could find all the “best packages” when they get to the European stadiums such as Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid), San Siro (Milan), Parc des Princes (Paris) or Camp Nou (Barcelona). The project intrigued me, so I joined. We rapidly evolved it to an app, thinking it would be more efficient as the platform is used more than books. We contacted a web designer to create a website, and an app designer to produce what we wanted. This is how DAVID RODRIGUES joined our team. He was able to create the website as well as the app.
On how the app works ...
Nenich: Goaltrotters is a guide. A guide for supporters who are fond of football and who don't mind traveling many miles to go to a game. We give all the best attractions related to the club where you want to go. Like the pub linked to the club -- we give the address of the pub, the means of transportation to get there, what you can find there and GPS itinerary if you are in a car. We also give you the museum of the club with the same information as for the pub (GPS itinerary, means of transportation). We give you the general atmosphere in the stands (family places or more “ultra” areas). We give you a GPS itinerary if you are in a car to go from your place to the stadium, the head office of the club and the training center of the club. Going to the Camp Nou or Anfield or Signal Iduna Park is a real dream for millions of people. But it is not so easy when you don't speak the language of the country and when you don't have time to organize it.
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On planned improvements ...
Nenich: At the end of July, the "real" Goaltrotters will be available. It means that you will be able to book your match ticket, your hotel and your transport with the application. You'll have a full travel guide directly in your hands in only a few clicks, on the app or on the site. We will also have a media section. We will write articles and make videos about the clubs represented on the app. A French commentator of Europa League is the "godfather" of Goaltrotters and will write articles for us as well. His name is
DENIS BALBIR, very famous in France, mostly with football fans.
On how the app makes money ...
Nenich: The app will always be free. We want to earn money thanks to the affiliation programs. From July 31, each time you book a game ticket, a transport ticket or accommodation, we take a little something. But we still have to find these affiliation programs. We also want to create partnerships with our clubs. If they want to keep being on the app they will have to subscribe and pay €250 ($280) per year.
On competitors in the market ...
Nenich: We don't feel like there are competitors at the moment, but we would enjoy working with applications, sites and factories who sell travel packages to include them on our site. Same for hotels and same with clubs. We are also looking for investors.
On expansion ...
Nenich: At the moment, we have 26 clubs available. By the end of summer, we want to reach 70. There will be American football clubs as well. We only have European clubs now, but our goal is to have American clubs, Chinese ones and Indian ones, as well as others. The application will very rapidly be available in English -- scheduled for the end of the month. It is already available in Spanish and French.
Hangin' With runs each Friday in SBD Global.
