Footballers are notorious for finding the switch from the spotlight of the big stadiums to civilian life difficult. A Swiss ex-pro, who took the financial market by storm after hanging up his boots, now finds himself in trouble.

The name of Ramon Vega stands for solid, uncompromising defensive work performed in the famous shirts of Tottenham Hotspurs, Celtic Glasgow and Watford. He also played for the Swiss national team and was part of the gutsy eleven that held the English to a 1-1 draw at the opener of the 1996 European Cup at the old Wembley Stadium.

After retiring in 2003, he seemed to have found a second life in finance. Vega founded several firms and made himself a name as a successful businessman in the City. In 2008, he launched Vega Swiss Asset Management, which is based in London. The company had as much as $1 billion in assets under management, according to reports in the media.

In Trouble

However, his handling of business affairs was not quite up to the standards he set in his footballing career, it seems. Vega Swiss Asset Management is set to be liquidated by authorities in the U.K., according to a report in «Sonntagszeitung» (behind paywall). The firm seems to have only very limited revenues and the website isn't available anymore.

It is not the first time that the former footballer is under pressure though. In September 2017, «Schweiz am Sonntag» reported that Vega faced paying compensation to a former client.

Failed Bid for FIFA President

Still, interest in the smooth footballer-turned-banker awoke recently, when he tried to get himself considered as challenger to the incumbent president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino. In January, he was interviewed at length by «CNN Money Switzerland» and presented as successful financial adviser and CEO.

Germany’s influential magazine «Der Spiegel» also had him as a potential successor to Infantini, who incidentally also hails from Switzerland. But, Vega didn’t succeed in finding the support of five national football associations needed to launch a candidature, several media outlets said.

Footballing Options

So now, the former footballer may have to go back to his roots. «I would love to go back into football,» Vega told «The Sun» last summer. «I have had some requests to do it, potentially running a club. It’s not just the knowledge I have in the football industry but also all my years in the financial industry.»

Perhaps he should give his old club in Zurich a call. The Grasshopper Club is in dire straits at the end of the first division table and the newspapers are full of stories about a perceived lack of leadership.