BENJAMIN OMOIKE with Agency reports
Following the success of the first edition, FIFA today kicked off in New York the second instalment of its Diploma in Club Management, which aims to provide club executives and former international players from all around the world with the latest practical know-how and insights from the industry, covering key areas related to successful club management.
The diploma is in line with FIFA’s objective of sharing knowledge and creating a more balanced football ecosystem to enable a larger number of clubs from every region of the world to compete at the highest level both on and off the pitch.
Forty participants from all confederations have joined the 12-month programme, which is taught by world-class experts and includes on-site and online modules on leadership and management, sporting strategy and youth academies, marketing and communication, club operations and stadium management, governance and legal matters, and finance.
Among the participants of this year’s edition are football greats Carli Lloyd, Tim Cahill, Fernandinho, John Terry and Juan Mata.
Commenting on the FIFA Diploma in Club Management, five of the participants highlighted their expectations:
Carli Lloyd (2x FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and 2x Olympic gold medallist) “I’m involved with Gotham FC as a minority owner and it is really important to understand what other club executives and some of the brightest minds of the industry are thinking about right now, which is why this diploma is just a great fit for my career path. Really looking forward to take full advantage of it, generating those meaningful connections and apply all that I can learn in the future.”
Julie Uhrman (Angel City FC President) “We may be rewriting the script with Angel City FC, but there is so much we can learn from those that came before in how to build a club that is bigger than the game. The FIFA Diploma in Club Management programme allows me to invest in myself and my club, to meet my peers, learn from their experiences, and broaden my views on what’s possible.”
Alberto Marrero (Atlético de San Luis President) “The FIFA Diploma in Club Management gives us the opportunity to keep learning with the latest practical know-how from all areas of the industry. Looking forward to learning and discussing our daily work routine with the FIFA academic board and colleagues, as well to taking advantage of the networking that this course gives us.”
Tim Cahill (Australian football legend and KAS Eupen board member) “I’m excited to be a part of this prestigious diploma. It’s important for me to continue my education with executives that work in football globally and to share our experiences. Since retiring, I’ve always wanted to keep on learning, to continue my education and be ready for what comes next, and I believe that being part of the Club Management diploma will help me out significantly in that process. I’m really excited about the diploma, to get to interact with senior club executives from all around the world, hearing from amazing speakers and getting involved in the lectures to share my experiences from my playing days and from my current organisation management career, this will definitely be a stepping stone going forward.”
Mauricio Culebro (Club Tigres President) “In an industry that’s changing constantly, it’s a great opportunity to learn about all the latest global trends in club operations from experts with different backgrounds. It’s also the perfect programme to share experiences and best practices with industry leaders that can later be applied in our respective roles.”
