Magazines

Sara Kimberley, mediaweek.co.uk, 17 November 2009, 07:00am

Former Chelsea star Monkou to launch UK glossy quarterly

LONDON - Former Chelsea football ace Ken Monkou is preparing to launch a quarterly aspirational glossy magazine in the UK called Life After Football.

New role: former Chelsea player Ken Monkou, centre, publisher of new aspirational magazine

The brand will launch in the UK in April, backed by a significant spend on marketing to promote the magazine.

A Dutch version of the magazine was established in Holland four years ago by former Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday footballer Regi Blinker and his business partner Joel Boyreau, and Soufian Asafiati.

The UK magazine will be a licensed joint venture between LAF Holland and Monkou, who played for Chelsea and Southampton.

Monkou claims launch circulation "will exceed 60,000 copies" and will include about 180 pages of content ranging from interviews with top players to life after football. The magazine will be sold via subscription, as well as online and news-stands across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The first issue will feature an interview with Dennis Bergkamp. It is expected to retail at £4.50.

Founder Monkou won the Chelsea Player of the Year award in 1990 and retired from football in 2003. He will act as publisher for the magazine and is currently building the UK sales team of three to be based in London.

The title will be printed in Holland initially, with a view to moving to the UK in due course.