The Story
A club in the mountains, and a plan that runs through India
There is a football club in the mountains of central Portugal, in the country's highest city, 1,056 metres up. It was founded in 2019. It plays in the fourth tier. It is not a sleeping giant, and nobody would call it a trophy asset.
In August 2026 a young entrepreneur from India acquired a majority stake in its football company and became its chief executive. He had spent years studying European football from the inside — its structures, its academies, how clubs are actually run — first for a BSc in Business Management at Brunel University London, then for a master's in Global Sports Marketing at the prestigious LaLiga Business School in Madrid.
He could have chased something glamorous. He went looking for somewhere his decisions would actually land.
“I wasn't looking for the biggest club or the most glamorous opportunity — I was looking for a project where I could genuinely make a difference, and I found that in Guarda FC.”
Jai Agarwal · to Khel Now, August 2026Khel Now — India's leading digital sports media platform, with extensive coverage of Indian and international football.
Three days before the deal reached the Indian press, his club won its first trophy of the season.
