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    Who is Kenneth Kretschmer Petersen?

    By
    Edward Chalk
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    Kenneth Kretschmer Petersen standing with a colleague during a training session, highlighting his role in football recruitment and development.
    Kenneth Kretschmer Petersen shares a moment on the training ground, reflecting his collaborative approach to recruitment and player development at Brøndby IF Women.

    Head of Recruitment, Brøndby IF Women

    Kenneth Kretschmer Petersen is the Head of Recruitment at Brøndby IF Women, where he leads talent identification and recruitment for both the senior and youth categories.

    Before joining Brøndby, Kenneth built a rich and varied career across the women’s game, Coaching, Transition Coach, Assistant Coach in the Women’s League, Board Member, and Elite Youth Coach.

    “That range of experience has given me a 360-degree understanding of the development pathway — from identifying potential at a young age to helping players make the step into elite competition.”

    That range of experience has given me a 360-degree understanding of the development pathway — from identifying potential at a young age to helping players make the step into elite competition.

    Role and Philosophy at Brøndby

    At Brøndby, Kenneth’s mission is to connect the present with the future, ensuring every recruitment decision supports the club’s identity and ambitions.

    “My role is to make sure our recruitment today aligns with the Brøndby we want to be in the coming years — building a pathway where young players can progress internally, while also identifying external talents who can raise our level.”

    The Four Pillars of Recruitment

    Kenneth’s recruitment model is structured around four core principles:

    • Clarity of profile – defining tactical, technical, physical, and psychological attributes for each position.
    • Data-informed scouting – combining live scouting with platforms like Wyscout and StatsBomb.
    • Internal development focus – integrating academy players through individual development plans.
    • Network and collaboration – maintaining strong relationships across domestic and international football.

    Brøndby’s Recruitment Identity

    Kenneth highlights that Brøndby’s strength lies in its Danish foundation, complemented by carefully selected foreign players who add quality and experience.

    “The goal is to stay true to our roots while expanding our reach — to build around our Danish base with talented players from abroad who can help us compete again in Europe.”

    Brøndby aims to expand its scouting network into South America, North America, and Africa. With a comprehensive setup, including on-site boarding, schooling, and cafeteria facilities, the club holds an edge over other Danish teams. Still, Kenneth stresses that further development is needed to fully support international recruitment.

    “We have a strong base, but to expand internationally we must keep improving — in our scouting systems, cultural integration, and overall player support.”

    We have a strong base, but to expand internationally we must keep improving — in our scouting systems, cultural integration, and overall player support.

    Growth and Vision

    Since Kenneth’s arrival, Brøndby’s women’s programme has undergone significant growth and professionalization, with an expanded and more specialized staff structure that has strengthened collaboration, performance, and player development.

    “We want to build a sustainable system — not just find players, but prepare the next ones.”

    Looking ahead, Kenneth’s ambition reflects both club and personal goals:

    “I want Brøndby to be an example of how to combine strong internal development with intelligent external scouting — and to keep contributing to the professionalization of the women’s game across Europe.”

    Our exclusive interview with Kenneth Kretschmer Petersen

    Before joining Brøndby IF Women, what roles or experiences prepared you for leading talent identification and recruitment at this level?

    Before joining Brøndby, I worked across a broad range of roles within girls’ and women’s football — from grassroots coaching to leadership positions. I’ve been a Talent Manager, Head of Coaching, transition coach, assistant coach in the Women’s League, board member, and coach for elite youth teams.

    That range of experience has given me a 360-degree understanding of the development pathway — from identifying potential at a young age to helping players make the step into elite competition. Along the way, I’ve also been deeply involved in performance analysis and player development structures, which has shaped how I now approach talent identification: combining the human side of coaching with objective, data-informed decision-making.

    You’ve been appointed as Head of Recruitment for the women’s senior and youth sides at Brøndby. How do you see your role in shaping the club’s long-term talent strategy?

    My role is to connect the present with the future — ensuring that our recruitment decisions today support the identity and ambitions Brøndby wants to live by in the coming years. It’s about building a clear, consistent pathway where our best young players can progress into the senior environment, while also identifying external talents who can raise our level immediately or in the near future.

    Externally, recruitment is about being curious, informed, and present. I spend a lot of time watching football — both live in stadiums and digitally through platforms like Wyscout. So far this year, I’ve attended matches in the Women’s Champions League, Europa League, all Scandinavian leagues, and most recently at the U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. Seeing football across different levels and cultures provides valuable insight into player types, tactical trends, and development environments — all of which inform how we recruit for Brøndby.

    Ultimately, my goal is not only to find players, but to build a sustainable system — one that combines internal development with external intelligence, ensuring Brøndby remains a leading force in women’s football both now and in the future.

    You’ve stated that you want to “create a systematic and sustainable recruitment strategy, where we both develop our own talents and identify quality & potential externally.” What are the key pillars of that strategy?

    There are four main pillars:

    • Clarity of profile – We define position-specific profiles for every role in our system, including tactical, technical, physical, and psychological attributes.
    • Data-informed scouting – We combine live scouting with data and video tools such as Wyscout and StatsBomb to ensure objectivity and consistency.
    • Internal development focus – We continuously evaluate our academy players and build individual development plans, so internal progression becomes a natural part of recruitment.
    • Network and collaboration – We maintain strong relationships with domestic clubs, national team staff, and international contacts to stay ahead of emerging talent trends.

    Sustainability, for me, means we don’t just replace players, we develop and prepare the next ones.

    What are the biggest challenges you face when implementing a recruitment strategy for a women’s programme at this level?

    The women’s game is evolving rapidly, but resources and data availability are still catching up to the men’s side. That makes live observation, network, and contextual understanding extremely important.

    Another challenge is balancing short-term competitiveness with long-term development. At Brøndby, we want to win now, but we also want to build the next generation of top players. Managing that balance, and ensuring the entire organisation is aligned behind it, is a key part of my role.

    How would you describe the overall structure of female football development in Denmark compared to leading nations such as USA, Germany, or England?

    Denmark has made strong progress in recent years, but the pathway still lacks the depth and structural investment seen in the biggest nations. In the USA or England, there’s a broader ecosystem, more competitive youth environments, more full-time setups, and stronger integration between clubs, schools, and national teams.

    However, Denmark has a unique strength: the closeness of the football community. Communication between clubs, federations, and players is fast and open, which allows for quicker collaboration and adaptation. The next step is scaling that, building more full-time environments and professionalising the support structure around young female players.

    Did you have mentors or influences who shaped your approach to coaching and scouting?

    Yes, definitely. I’ve been fortunate to work with coaches and analysts who taught me that football is not just about identifying talent, but about understanding people. Several mentors have reinforced the importance of context, that a player’s success often depends as much on the environment as on the individual.

    I’ve also been influenced by my earlier career outside of football, where I built and led businesses. That experience gave me a valuable perspective on leadership, development, and spotting potential, not just in players, but in people. The process of building teams, developing individuals, and creating the right culture is very similar whether it’s in sport or business.

    Finally, I’ve been inspired by the analytical side of the game, learning to use data and video not as a replacement for intuition, but as a tool to challenge and refine it. That combination of human understanding, analytical discipline, and leadership experience has shaped how I approach recruitment today

    As women’s football continues to professionalize rapidly across Europe, what are your goals for the next stage of your career?

    My main goal is to keep contributing to the continued professionalization of the women’s game, helping to create environments where talented players, coaches, and staff can reach their full potential.

    In the coming years, I want to keep developing as a leader in recruitment and performance strategy, strengthening the link between data, player development, and long-term club identity. At Brøndby, that means ensuring our recruitment model becomes an example of how to combine strong internal talent development with intelligent external scouting.

    More broadly, my ambition is to play a part in raising the overall standards of women’s football, building structures and processes that create stability, opportunity, and sustained success. For me, that’s what true progress looks like.

    What are some insights of Bronby and your recruitment policies?

    Our strategy is built on a strong Danish foundation, aiming for most players on the field to be Danish, complemented by a few quality foreign players. The goal is to strengthen our identity while competing again in European tournaments.

    Brøndby has traditionally recruited well in Denmark and Europe, but we would like to expand to regions like South America and the USA when the time comes. To attract and integrate young international talents, for example, an 18-year-old Nigerian player, we’re improving player care and support systems as the women’s game evolves and our player pool becomes younger. At Bronby we have a structure set up where we house players, a cafeteria and schooling under one roof, so it gives us an edge over other Danish clubs.

    We mainly recruit for the A team, with U19 players training alongside them. Our facilities, including boarding, school, and cafeteria, give us an advantage over other Danish clubs. Supported by a Players’ Union salary agreement, we continue to expand staff (from 4 to about 10 in recent years), creating better conditions for development and internal collaboration.

    Our next step is to strengthen our internal structure and expand our scouting network internationally to sustain long-term growth.

    L’Impact Financier De La Multipropriété De Clubs

    By
    Abdeslam El Feniche
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    RB Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena showcasing the scale and branding of Red Bull’s multi-club football network.
    The Red Bull Arena in Leipzig stands as a symbol of modern multi-club ownership, where financial investment and global branding merge to shape football’s new era.

    Cet article constitue la troisième partie de la série « Le Private Equity dans le football: révolution ou pari risqué ? », qui analyse la manière dont les fonds d’investissement redessinent le paysage du football, en y injectant des capitaux et en redéfinissant la notion même de propriété des clubs, entre potentiel de transformation et risques considérables. Dans la première partie, nous avons exploré comment l’instabilité financière et l’après-pandémie ont ouvert la voie à de nouveaux types de propriétaires dans l’industrie du football. La deuxième partie s’est intéressée à la manière dont ces fonds perçoivent les clubs comme des actifs au sein d’un portefeuille d’investissement plus large, à la logique du multi-club ownership (MCO), et à ses implications sur la gouvernance, la performance et la durabilité à long terme. La troisième partie décrira le processus d’acquisition des clubs de football. Ce nouvel article vise désormais à évaluer si les modèles de propriété multi-club (MCO) génèrent de réels bénéfices financiers durables ou s’ils représentent, au contraire, un risque à long terme pour les clubs et l’ensemble de leurs parties prenantes.

    Lorsqu’un fonds de private equity acquiert un club de football, il n’achète pas simplement une équipe : il investit dans un actif qu’il s’attend à transformer, optimiser, puis revendre avec profit. Mais cette logique est-elle compatible avec la réalité financière singulière du football ? Tout dépend de la manière dont on définit le succès : en indicateurs financiers ou en résultats sportifs.

    Stratégie d’investissement: de la restructuration à l’optimisation

    Les acteurs du private equity appliquent généralement un schéma d’intervention inspiré du redressement d’entreprises. Dans le football, cela se traduit souvent par:

    Restructuration de la dette

    Restructuration de la dette: de nombreuses acquisitions impliquent l’absorption ou la réorganisation de la dette du club. Cette approche peut réduire la pression financière à court terme, mais dans certains cas, une nouvelle dette est contractée pour financer l’acquisition elle-même (selon un modèle de type LBO), ce qui accroît le risque futur.

    Exemple: Burnley FC a été racheté par ALK Capital en décembre 2020 pour environ 170 millions de livres sterling, via un montage à effet de levier (LBO) qui a transféré près de 60 à 65 millions de dettes sur le club lui-même, garanties par ses propres actifs. À la suite de sa relégation en mai 2022, le chiffre d’affaires du club est passé de 123,4 millions à 64,9 millions de livres, soit une chute de près de 50 %, principalement due à la division par deux des revenus audiovisuels (de 110 millions à 47,8 millions de livres). Ce revers brutal a mis en évidence la fragilité du modèle LBO, et démontrant à quel point une descente sportive peut rapidement faire s’effondrer un montage financier à effet de levier.

    Ce revers brutal a mis en évidence la fragilité du modèle LBO, et démontrant à quel point une descente sportive peut rapidement faire s’effondrer un montage financier à effet de levier.

    Maîtrise des coûts et recherche d’efficacité

    Les clubs détenus par des fonds de private equity mettent souvent en place des plafonds salariaux plus stricts, des structures de gestion allégées et une prise de décision centralisée afin de réduire les dépenses.

    Exemple : sous la direction de RedBird Capital, le Toulouse FC a drastiquement réduit sa masse salariale et ses effectifs, tout en misant sur de jeunes talents sous-évalués. Cette stratégie a conduit le club à une promotion en Ligue 1, puis à une victoire en Coupe de France en 2023.

    Investissement dans les infrastructures

    Les rénovations de stades, la construction de nouveaux centres d’entraînement et le développement de plateformes digitales ne sont plus perçus comme de simples dépenses, mais comme de véritables leviers de création de valeur à long terme.

    Exemple: l’AC Milan et l’Inter, désormais détenus respectivement par les fonds américains RedBird et Oaktree, ont jugé la rénovation complète du stade Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro) financièrement non viable. Les deux clubs sont donc en discussion pour racheter conjointement à la municipalité de Milan le stade historique construit en 1926 ainsi que ses terrains environnants, dans le cadre d’un projet de réaménagement estimé à 1,2 milliard d’euros incluant une dimension immobilière et commerciale plus large. Ce nouveau projet prévoit une hausse potentielle de plusieurs centaines de millions d’euros de la valorisation cumulée des deux clubs au cours des prochaines années.

    Recrutement intelligent

    Le scouting basé sur la data et le player trading deviennent des priorités stratégiques. Le recrutement est désormais perçu comme un levier financier, et non plus uniquement comme une nécessité sportive.

    Exemple: sous la présidence de Gérard Lopez, avec un soutien financier initialement lié à Elliott Management, le LOSC Lille a mis en place un modèle de transferts axé sur la valorisation des talents sous-évalués. Le club a ainsi vendu Nicolas Pépé à Arsenal en 2019 pour 80 millions d’euros, un record pour un joueur africain, après l’avoir recruté pour seulement 10 millions. En 2020, Lille a également négocié le transfert de Victor Osimhen à Naples pour environ 70 millions d’euros, confirmant la rentabilité de cette approche fondée sur l’identification, le développement et la revente stratégique des joueurs.

    Ces stratégies visent à créer un club plus « investissable », capable de faire croître ses revenus tout en stabilisant ses coûts. Cependant, derrière les tableaux Excel se cachent des indicateurs plus subtils et immatériels, souvent ignorés par les logiques purement financières.

    Attentes de rentabilité: création de valeur vs vision sportive

    Le private equity ne vise généralement pas l’équilibre financier, mais la multiplication de la valeur. Un club acquis pour 100 millions d’euros peut être destiné à être revendu 500 millions cinq à sept ans plus tard. Cette logique de rendement guide la majorité des décisions stratégiques prises par les nouveaux propriétaires.

    Expansion commerciale

    Augmenter les revenus grâce à des partenariats mondiaux, au merchandising, au contenu digital et à une présence accrue sur les marchés émergents.

    Exemple: CVC Capital Partners a injecté 2,1 milliards d’euros dans les droits médiatiques de LaLiga en échange d’une participation de 8,2 %. L’objectif est d’aider les clubs à se moderniser et à tirer parti de la consommation numérique mondiale.

    Valorisation des actifs

    Notamment dans les modèles multi-clubs, les joueurs sont formés et transférés entre les équipes affiliées afin de maximiser le rendement du capital humain.

    Exemple: le réseau Red Bull, comprenant notamment Leipzig et Salzbourg, permet une détection, un développement et une circulation des talents à travers différents marchés, optimisant ainsi la création de valeur sportive et financière.

    Stratégie de sortie planifiée

    Dès le premier jour, la plupart des fonds de private equity œuvrent en vue d’une sortie clairement définie, qu’il s’agisse d’une revente, d’une introduction en bourse ou d’une intégration dans un conglomérat sportif plus large.

    Exemple: la gestion à court terme d’Elliott Management au Milan AC en est une parfaite illustration. Le fonds a restructuré le club en 2018, puis l’a revendu quatre ans plus tard à RedBird pour 1,2 milliard d’euros, doublant ainsi sa valorisation initiale.

    Cependant, si ces stratégies offrent souvent un rendement financier attractif, elles entrent en conflit avec les rythmes et l’incertitude du succès sportif. Construire une académie, instaurer une culture de club, ou entretenir un lien durable avec les supporters ne s’intègre pas aisément dans un modèle de rentabilité à cinq ans.

    Facteurs de risque: le gain financier face à la culture du football

    L’impact financier de la propriété par des fonds de private equity n’est pas uniformément positif. Plusieurs risques majeurs se sont manifestés dans de nombreux clubs:

    Court-termisme

    La pression pour atteindre des objectifs de rentabilité peut conduire à privilégier les gains rapides, comme le trading de joueurs ou la réduction des budgets, au détriment de la cohérence sportive à long terme.

    Exemple: sous la direction de 777 Partners, le Standard de Liège a connu plusieurs changements de direction en l’espace de deux saisons, entraînant des performances instables et une frustration croissante des supporters. En mai 2024, un tribunal belge a autorisé la saisie de l’ensemble des actifs de 777 Partners en Belgique, incluant les comptes du club, la société propriétaire du stade et les parts détenues, à la suite d’une action en justice intentée par l’ancien propriétaire Bruno Venanzi et les actionnaires du stade pour paiements impayés.

    Surendettement

    Les clubs avec une dette liée à leur acquisition s’exposent à un risque existentiel en cas de contre-performance sportive ou financière.

    Exemple: le rachat de Burnley FC via un montage à effet de levier (LBO) illustre parfaitement cette vulnérabilité; un échec dans la course à la promotion aurait pu compromettre gravement la solvabilité du club.

    Perturbation de la gouvernance

    Le private equity entraîne souvent des changements rapides au niveau des instances dirigeantes, et une centralisation du pouvoir qui peut affaiblir la direction locale.

    Exemple: le Hertha Berlin, autre club détenu par 777 Partners, a connu de multiples changements de direction entre 2021 et 2023, ce qui a contribué à sa relégation et à une forte instabilité interne.

    Le profit avant la passion

    Le mécontentement des supporters grandit lorsque les clubs sont réduits à de simples actifs financiers. Les décisions liées au branding, à la tarification des billets ou aux partenariats commerciaux, prises sans consultation locale, provoquent souvent de vives réactions.

    Exemple: en 2023, les supporters d’Everton ont fermement protesté contre le projet de rachat par 777 Partners, dénonçant les finances opaques du fonds et son historique controversé dans la gestion d’autres clubs.

    Perte de valeur immatérielle

    Les clubs ne sont pas de simples entreprises, ce sont des vecteurs de mémoire, d’identité et de fierté régionale. Cette valeur émotionnelle, souvent invisible dans les stratégies pilotées par les fonds de private equity, est pourtant essentielle à leur âme.

    Les clubs ne sont pas de simples entreprises, ce sont des vecteurs de mémoire, d’identité et de fierté régionale.

    Exemple: comme on a pu le voir avec Vasco da Gama ou le Genoa, les supporters se sont opposés aux changements de propriété qui ont modifié l’identité visuelle du club, son ancrage communautaire ou ses traditions de supporters.

    Conclusion

    Les améliorations financières sont souvent présentées à travers des bilans assainis et des marges d’EBITDA en hausse. Mais tous les gains ne sont pas structurels. Certains clubs affichent une « croissance » issue de ventes d’actifs ou de coupes à court terme, plutôt que d’une véritable expansion durable des revenus. Ces chiffres traduisent souvent des améliorations artificielles : ventes de joueurs, réductions de coûts ou injections ponctuelles de capital.

    Par ailleurs, peu de fonds de private equity prennent en compte les indicateurs immatériels tels que la confiance, le lien culturel ou la valeur sociale d’un club de football. Ces éléments intangibles n’apparaissent pas dans les rapports annuels, mais leur érosion est profondément ressentie par les supporters. Ces coûts, plus difficiles à mesurer, sont sans doute les plus dommageables à long terme.

    Le private equity peut apporter une expertise financière précieuse et une modernisation nécessaire au football. Mais lorsque l’ingénierie financière prend le pas sur les valeurs sportives, les clubs risquent de devenir de simples coquilles vides, dépourvues d’âme. Le véritable enjeu n’est pas tant de savoir si ces stratégies fonctionnent, mais qui en profite réellement : les supporters, l’héritage et le projet sportif… ou simplement les bilans comptables des actionnaires ?

    Certes, la restructuration financière et la croissance commerciale constituent des piliers essentiels de la transformation d’un club. Mais sans résultats sur le terrain, ces efforts perdent tout leur sens. Dans le prochain article, nous verrons si le playbook stratégique du private equity peut réellement conduire au succès sportif, ou si le jeu, fidèle à son essence, demeure résolument insaisissable à la logique financière.

    Who is Marco Durán Montenegro?

    By
    The Football Week
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    Marco Durán Montenegro presenting a gift to a young player during a club event focused on development and performance culture.
    Marco Durán Montenegro engages directly with players as part of his holistic approach to performance and development. His work emphasises connection, structure and long-term growth inside professional football environments.

    Marco Durán Montenegro is a football performance specialist and coach with extensive experience across top South American clubs. He has built his career around developing high-performance environments, managing training methodologies, and implementing performance structures that impact both first teams and youth academies.

    His journey began in Argentina, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and became a Certified Football Coach. He later pursued advanced education in Spain, completing a Professional Master’s Degree in High Performance in Team Sports, a Master’s in Tactical Planning, and specializations in Physical Conditioning and Load Management.

    Professionally, Durán has held key roles at some of the most respected clubs in South America. At Independiente del Valle, he served as Head of Performance, overseeing methodological management, training design, competition analysis, and the use of Big Data to inform decision-making. At Universitario de Deportes, he played a transformative role in organizational restructuring, creating new departments such as Tactical Performance Analysis, Physical Performance, and Welfare, while also implementing management indicators across the club.

    Durán has also contributed to Liga de Quito, Independiente Juniors, and Universitario de Deportes, combining his expertise as a performance coach, physical trainer, and academy director. His leadership extends beyond physical preparation, focusing on building holistic structures that support tactical, physical, and psychosocial development.

    With a career spanning across Ecuador and Peru, Marco Durán Montenegro has positioned himself as a modern football performance leader. His ability to blend academic knowledge with practical application makes him a valuable figure in the evolution of South American football.

    “His ability to blend academic knowledge with practical application makes him a valuable figure in the evolution of South American football.”

    Our exclusive interview with Marco Durán Montenegro

    What inspired you to pursue a career in football performance and coaching, and how did your academic path in Argentina and Spain shape your philosophy?

    I have always been passionate about football. I tried to become a player and went through the youth system at Liga de Quito, but I realized that talent was not my strongest virtue, so I decided to dedicate myself to coaching. I was very clear that high performance was my passion. I chose to study in Argentina, where I completed my university degree, which gave me important tools in leadership and management. Later, I continued my studies in Spain, where I acquired methodological tools that helped me understand and structure strategic areas in the clubs where I worked. Both approaches helped me enhance my interventions in high-performance football.

    During your time at Independiente del Valle, you worked heavily with methodological management and data-driven decision-making. How did those innovations impact the club’s success?

    At Independiente del Valle, I spent a period of 3 years. Without a doubt, it is a space that demands a lot, where you are constantly challenged to innovate and break paradigms. For this reason, I structured a performance department together with a great friend, Antonio Bores. At the beginning, data was the priority—extracting it, understanding it, and from there making decisions. I consider the most important achievements to be: reduction of injuries, performance profiling, injury prevention, and record-time recovery of injured players. This had a direct impact first on coach education and decision-making in planning, and second on sporting achievements, since thanks to good decisions in injury recovery, we had a full squad available for the Copa Sudamericana final, which we went on to win.

    “At the beginning, data was the priority—extracting it, understanding it, and from there making decisions.”

    At Universitario de Deportes, you led organizational reengineering and built multiple new departments. What were the biggest challenges in implementing those structural changes?

    The biggest challenge at Universitario de Deportes was professional development. I believe human capital is the key to success, and many institutions often lack this strength. Having specialists in different areas is essential to accelerate processes related to player development and transfers. At Universitario de Deportes, the methodology, performance, and individual development departments were inaugurated. The challenge was to train local coaches to understand the needs of each department and lead them successfully.

    You have worked both with first teams and youth academies. How do you adapt your approach when working with developing players compared to established professionals?

    The main difference between a youth player and a professional player lies in the amount of experience they have. For me, helping them understand the game from the tactical, physical, and technical perspectives is fundamental. The focus should not only be on winning matches but on their individual performance to promote them to the professional squad. It is also essential to talk about “invisible training”—the 22 hours outside the pitch. Supporting them to achieve results off the field has a direct impact on their sporting performance.

    Football performance today blends physical, tactical, and psychosocial dimensions. How do you ensure balance between these areas in your programs?

    It is essential to detect player performance through indicators. For example, on the tactical side, I have developed different indicators that allow us to measure performance over time, and the same applies to physical performance. This, in turn, pushes us to rely on the psychosocial area, identifying what decreases or enhances performance. Ultimately, the great challenge for institutions is to be both inter- and intra-disciplinary.

    Looking ahead, what trends do you see shaping the future of football performance, and where do you see your next contributions fitting into that evolution?

    Without a doubt, football is becoming increasingly tactical, but also more physical. Being able to structure areas that enhance both aspects is vital. Along with this, football is also emotional, and knowing how to manage this dimension is a key factor that boosts development. For me, the youth academy is the area of a club where the greatest investment must be made, since it allows players to be developed and maximized—while also generating significant income for the club.

    Football in Africa: Hope, Reality and Guidance

    By
    Bayram Aybasti
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    Two football players challenge for the ball during a match on an artificial pitch, highlighting youth competition and intensity.
    Photo by Jannik on Unsplash

    Africa is not just a continent where football is a game; it plays a central role in social mobility, identity formation, and future planning. For many young people, football represents the most visible pathway out of economic hardship and a means to support their families. However, this path does not always lead to success; high hopes often end in disappointment. As a professional management company, we closely observe this reality and evaluate the young talents who reach out to us daily from across Africa.

    The socioeconomic role of football

    Access to economic resources in Africa is limited, educational opportunities are often insufficient, and alternative career paths are scarce. Therefore, football is not only a sporting goal for young people but also a vehicle for social recognition and economic improvement. A successful player can transform not only their own life but also the lives of their family and community.

    In this sense, football is more than an individual career goal; it represents a collective social hope.

    “In this sense, football is more than an individual career goal; it represents a collective social hope.”

    African-origin football stars and realistic expectations

    Stories of African footballers achieving global success are often framed as journeys “from hope to the top.” Players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Didier Drogba set examples not only through their performance on the field but also through their social investments in their communities.

    However, these success stories can create unrealistic expectations among young aspirants. Thousands of young players begin the journey, but only a few reach a professional level. At this point, proper guidance becomes critical.

    Management perspective: Reality and empathy

    Every day, we receive CVs from two, three, or even more young footballers from different countries across Africa. Most are between 16 and 20 years old, full of dreams, and eager to change the future for their families. We carefully evaluate their potential. However, the professional football world demands extremely high physical, mental, and disciplinary standards.

    Unfortunately, there are many cases where we cannot provide assistance. At this juncture, empathy is not only an ethical responsibility but also a professional necessity. One must not play with the hopes and futures of young players.

    Conveying the realities honestly and kindly is essential for both their well-being and our own ethical accountability.

    “One must not play with the hopes and futures of young players.”

    Guiding the future without losing hope

    Football in Africa will continue to drive social dynamism. For this dynamism to develop healthily, two fundamental approaches are required:

    • Realistic career planning: Football is not the only path; alternative development opportunities, both within and outside the sport, should be made visible to young people.
    • Fair and transparent talent identification: Young talents must have access to institutions capable of genuine guidance, rather than intermediaries who exploit their hopes.

    Empathy is the cornerstone of this process. Guiding young players with integrity, rather than exploiting their dreams, is the most ethical way to invest in the future.

    Football in Africa begins as a dream, but turning that dream into a real future depends on talent, proper guidance, and empathy.

    International Transfers of Minor Players Explained

    By
    Özkan Bal
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    Youth football player controlling the ball during a match, representing issues around international transfers of minor players.
    Grey Gibbs, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Introduction

    In December 2000, Barcelona’s then sporting director Carles Rexach, player agents Josep Maria Minguella and Horacio Gaggioli, together with Jorge Messi (Lionel Messi’s father), made history in Barcelona: On a napkin, they agreed that Lionel Messi, then only thirteen years old, should play for FC Barcelona in future. Even at that time, there was debate about whether it was appropriate and sensible to take a 13-year-old out of his familiar surroundings in Argentina to play football in Spain – for no other reason than the hope that he would one day become a professional footballer. Everyone interested in football now knows how Lionel Messi’s story unfolded.

    The transfer was only permitted under the FIFA statutes in force at the time because, although discussions had already been held in 2000 between the European Union, FIFA and UEFA on necessary protective measures in connection with international transfers of underage footballers, FIFA had not yet introduced any corresponding regulations. Today, Art. 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) would prevent such a transfer, as the aforementioned institutions have agreed on a set of regulations that only allow transfers of underage players in certain, strictly defined exceptional cases.

    This article aims to shed light on Art. 19 RSTP. It also provides practical guidance on the implementation of a permissible international transfer of a minor.

    International transfers of minors

    The central provision is Art. 19 RSTP para. 1 clarifies that international transfers of players are only permitted if they are over 18 years of age. Art. 19 RSTP therefore requires: (i) an international transfer of (ii) a minor player. If these conditions are met, such a transfer is generally not permitted under Art. 19 para. 1 RSTP.

    International transfer

    According to Art. 5 para. 1 RSTP, every player who participates in organised football for a club must be registered with a national association. If a player is to be registered for a club of another national association, he is therefore changing associations, which constitutes an international transfer subject to the rules of the RSTP (Art. 1 para. 1 RSTP). If a player changes clubs within a national association, the special rules of the respective national association apply in principle in accordance with Art. 1 para. 2 RSTP; Art. 1 para. 3 RSTP refers to individual RSTP provisions that also apply to national transfers.

    Art. 5 para. 3 also clarifies that a player cannot be registered for more than one club at the same time.

    Minors

    It must also be clarified who is considered a minor. The FIFA regulations are clear on this point: Art. 19 para. 1 RSTP stipulates that international transfers of players are only permitted if they are over 18 years of age. This means that players up to and including the age of 17 are considered minors. Transfers of these players are subject to the special rules of Art. 19 RSTP.

    General prohibition with exceptions

    Art. 19 para. 1 initially prohibits international transfers of minors. However, Art. 19 para. 2 describes the following exceptions, in which case a transfer may be permitted:

    a) Parents move for non-football reasons

    If the parents move to the country of the new club for reasons not related to football (e.g. work), the minor player may also move.

    b) Transfers within the EU/EEA (16–18 years)

    In the case of transfers between two national associations within the EU or the EEA, a transfer is permitted if the player is between 16 and 18 years of age. In such cases, the receiving club must guarantee and demonstrate additional safeguards:

    • (i) football education/training in accordance with the highest national standards;
    • (ii) academic and/or vocational training that enables an alternative career;
    • (iii) appropriate support (e.g. suitable accommodation/host family, mentor at the club, everyday support).

    c) Proximity to the border

    If the player lives no more than 50 km from a national border and the receiving club is based in a neighbouring country also within 50 km of the border (maximum distance between the player’s place of residence and the club’s headquarters is 100 km in total), a transfer is permitted. The player must continue to live at home, and both associations involved must expressly agree.

    d) Additional since mid-2020

    • Humanitarian reasons: If a minor player flees without his parents for humanitarian reasons (e.g. war) and is allowed to stay temporarily in the country of arrival, an international transfer is possible (Art. 19 para. 2 d RSTP).
    • School/student exchange: If the player participates in a temporary exchange programme without his parents, he may play there temporarily and be transferred internationally for this purpose (Art. 19 para. 2 e RSTP).

    e) Other general rules

    The provisions of Art. 19 RSTP also apply to players who are registered with a national association for the first time, do not have the nationality of the country concerned and have resided in that country for less than five years without interruption.

    In addition, all transfers of players who are at least 10 years old and (i) are to be transferred internationally or (ii) are to be registered with a national association for the first time in accordance with the above paragraph (regardless of whether the player has resided in the country concerned for more or less than five years prior to registration) must be expressly confirmed by the FIFA Players’ Status Committee. This confirmation is required before applying for the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) necessary for the transfer.

    In the case of players under the age of 10, the receiving club is obliged to check for itself whether the conditions described above are met and whether registration is permissible.

    4. Responsibility of clubs

    Particular attention should be paid to Art. 19 para. 8 RSTP. According to this, a club that registers a minor player is obliged to:

    • exercise a duty of care towards the minor,
    • take all reasonable measures to protect the minor from possible abuse, and
    • ensure that the minor is given the opportunity to complete an academic education (in accordance with the highest national standards) that will enable him to pursue an alternative career outside of football.

    FIFA thus requires clubs to take special precautions to protect underage players.

    Practical information

    Given the numerous exceptions to the basic prohibition in Article 19 RSTP, the question arises as to the practical implementation of international transfers of minors: How can the conditions for an exception be proven to FIFA?

    In 2020, FIFA published the ‘Guide to Submitting a Minor Application’, which serves as a guide for applying for an exemption. The type of documents to be submitted depends on the exemption to be claimed (Article 19 para. 2 a to e and para. 3 and para. 4 RSTP). FIFA lists the formal documents that must be enclosed with the application for the various scenarios. In some exceptions, there are variants that require different types of evidence. In the cases under Art. 19 para. 2 b–e and para. 3 and 4 RSTP, there are fewer variants, which is why fewer documents usually need to be submitted.

    This is how the procedure works

    1. Submission of the application to the receiving association, enclosing all documents.
    2. The national association enters the application into the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS).
    3. The releasing association reviews the application (except in certain humanitarian cases) and has seven days to comment or confirm. If no confirmation is received, the application is automatically forwarded to FIFA via TMS.
    4. The FIFA administration checks the application for completeness, may make additional requests and makes a recommendation to the FIFA Sub-Committee.
    5. The Sub-Committee decides: ‘Accepted / Rejected / Not admissible’ and records the decision in TMS; this is automatically forwarded to both associations.
    6. The receiving and transferring associations can request the reasons from the Sub-Committee within 10 days of receiving the decision. An appeal against the decision can be lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days.

    Those who can clearly demonstrate that they meet the criteria for an exception under Art. 19 para. 2 RSTP, proceed in a structured manner, organise school and childcare in a comprehensible way and prepare formal evidence neatly, minimise queries from the FIFA administration and speed up the process.

    The FAQ section in the ‘Guide to Submitting a Minor Application’ with frequently asked practical questions is also helpful.

    How do I proceed in concrete terms?

    Anyone preparing an international transfer of a minor player should take a structured approach from the outset. Good organisation determines the speed and quality of the process.

    Do’s & Don’ts

    Do’s

    • Identify a suitable exception under Art. 19 RSTP and provide full evidence – as described in the ‘Guide to Submitting a Minor Application’.
    • Submit official or employment contract originals, certified copies and, where necessary, certified translations.
    • Keep all documents in an organised folder with a contact list (family, club, association, school).
    • Submit a child protection and care plan: living situation (address, verified host family/club accommodation, house rules), designated contact persons at the club, school (confirmation of enrolment, timetable, language courses if applicable).
    • Coordinate football training with school. Clubs should have standard documents (training plan, child protection concept, care plan, etc.) ready, which are only personalised in individual cases.

    Don’ts

    • False justifications: A football-motivated parental move as a purported non-football reason regularly fails and undermines the credibility of the application for acceptance of the transfer by the FIFA sub-commitee.
    • Unclear living arrangements of parents can also be an obstacle, especially if there are no employment contracts, insufficient proof of income, or unsuitable documentation of invoices, which will lead to queries from FIFA administration.
    • Temporary/uncertain accommodation (only short-term rental agreements, hotels) or mere declarations of intent without reliable evidence of the existence of permanent accommodation
    • Although participating in training sessions or matches before receiving approval from the FIFA sub-committee may be tempting in many cases to integrate the player into the sporting activities of a new club as quickly as possible, it is legally risky and subject to sanctions under FIFA regulations.

    Applications often fail due to distances just over 50 km or unclear map information. Therefore, enclose official registration certificates and precise proof of distance.

    Special notes

    • Borderline case (Art. 19 para. 2 c RSTP): Applications often fail due to distances just over 50 km or unclear map information. Therefore, enclose official registration certificates and precise proof of distance.
    • Humanitarian cases (Art. 19 para 2 d RSTP): Admissibility depends on reliable official documents. Plan appointments and translations in good time to avoid delays.

    Result

    Those who can clearly demonstrate that they meet the criteria for an exception under Art. 19 para. 2 RSTP, proceed in a structured manner, organise school and childcare in a comprehensible way and prepare formal evidence neatly, minimise queries from the FIFA administration and speed up the process. On the other hand, spurious justifications and unclear school or living conditions regularly lead to delays or rejections.

    The European Club Association (ECA) recently investigated how clubs handle the protection of minors and what problems exist in the current transfer system. Here, too, the aim is to further improve the balance between promoting talent and protecting children.

    Who is Paolo Rongoni?

    By
    Edward Chalk
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    Paolo Rongoni observing the pitch with focus during his role as a top performance coach.
    Paolo Rongoni brings decades of expertise in performance coaching to his work with elite players at national and club level. His leadership style blends precision, discipline and deep human understanding.

    Paolo Rongoni is an elite football performance expert and sports scientist, currently serving as Head of Strength & Conditioning for the Algerian National Team. With a career spanning top European clubs including AS Roma, Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, and Al-Nassr FC, Rongoni is renowned for his innovative approach to physical preparation, load management, and player optimization. His philosophy blends cutting-edge sports science with human understanding, shaping modern performance culture across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

    Current Role with the Algerian National Team

    Paolo Rongoni, born in 1971 in Fermo, Italy, is the fitness coach of the Algerian National Team, overseeing player performance, physical preparation, and injury prevention at the highest international level. Since joining the Algerian Football Federation, he has implemented a comprehensive physical and medical monitoring protocol to evaluate player fitness, strengths, and recovery needs. His approach emphasizes transparency and collaboration, maintaining open communication with club fitness coaches, more and more of whom are his former students, to ensure coordination between club and national team workloads. Under his and the staff’s guidance, Algeria qualified for the FIFA World Cup after a twelve-year absence, a milestone that brought immense pride to the nation. He now focuses on optimizing the team’s performance for the Africa Cup of Nations and other major competitions.

    Training Philosophy and Methods

    Rongoni’s philosophy centers on adaptation rather than imposition. He believes that a national team fitness coach should not enforce a rigid methodology but instead tailor programs to the players’ individual needs and club routines. In his words, a national team does not develop players, it optimizes them. His method combines precision, personalization, and respect for each athlete’s existing rhythm, ensuring that players maintain balance and readiness during short international windows.

    He defines his role as both scientific and human, monitoring training load, adjusting intensity, managing fatigue, and translating complex physiological data into practical football language that coaches and players can apply. Close collaboration with medical staff, physiotherapists, and coaches is central to his daily process.

    “A national team does not develop players — it optimizes them.”

    International Career and Cultural Experience

    Rongoni’s career has taken him through several footballing cultures, including Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, France, Saudi Arabia, and now Algeria. Each country has shaped his understanding of performance and personal development. Italy taught him the technical foundations of physical conditioning. France strengthened his approach to athletic preparation in terms of running. Turkey exposed him to a more aggressive style of football, where adaptation was essential. Switzerland refined his sense of organization and discipline. His time in Saudi Arabia, working with Al-Nassr, introduced him to a new culture and working methods, which helped him adapt to his new role in Algeria more quickly.

    Career Beginnings and Mentorship

    Rongoni began his journey with Perugia after his physical fitness formation at the Italian Football Federation. Early in his career, he distinguished himself through the innovative use of muscle stimulation techniques, which were less common in football at the time. His first major mentor, Roberto Morinini, (Lugano, Servette) taught him how to plan training sessions carefully and how to maximize player performance while minimizing the risk of injury. In Switzerland, he had to place strong emphasis on injury prevention among key players, as the overall level would generally drop outside the starting eleven. Later, during his collaboration with Rudi Garcia, Rongoni developed a deeper understanding of workload management, GPS analysis, and biomechanics. His work with Vladimir Petković, the former coach of the Swiss national team, further refined his knowledge of the unique dynamics that define preparation at the national level.

    Vision and Future Ambitions

    With decades of experience across top leagues and national programs, Rongoni now aims to move into a Director of Performance role, either within a national team or a professional club. His long-term ambition is to mentor the next generation of performance specialists and to contribute to federation training programs, particularly within professional Fifa license courses. He is also keen to work alongside a young, ambitious coach, a former professional player looking to build a successful second career at Europe’s top level.

    Guided by curiosity, precision, and a lifelong commitment to learning, Paolo Rongoni continues to embody the modern performance coach, uniting scientific rigor with human understanding to elevate football excellence.

    “Paolo Rongoni continues to embody the modern performance coach, uniting scientific rigor with human understanding to elevate football excellence.”

    Our exclusive interview with Paolo Rongoni

    Your background is quite unique. Can you tell us about your training and the steps that led you to your first position as a fitness coach in a professional club?

    My first position as a fitness coach in a professional club came after completing my training at the Italian Football Federation. A university friend who was already involved in football connected me with Perugia for an internship during my undergraduate studies. That experience gave me the opportunity to work with Perugia’s head coach, who at the time was also a lecturer in the professional coaching license program.

    I started in Perugia during the 1994/1995 season. I was one of the few people using muscle stimulation techniques at that time. I had already worked with some of Perugia’s players during my studies, so I was familiar with the team before joining them officially.

    You’re currently working with the Algerian National Team (FAF). What can you tell us about this new chapter and your ambitions?

    I’ve discovered a completely new way of working in this role. To be honest, it wasn’t easy to leave the daily routine of club life and to no longer experience competition every three days, whether in the league, the Champions League, or the Europa League. I do miss that rhythm sometimes.

    However, working with the national team has offered me a different quality of life, especially for my family. The approach to work is also entirely different: the performance window is short, over ten days of training and matches, so the main goal is not to build players over time but to optimize their condition to win matches, a completely different mindset.

    At the federation, we have implemented a physical and medical monitoring protocol to better understand the strengths and needs of the players we select. I also maintain direct communication with many of them, some were players I previously coached at club level, including in France, which helps build strong relationships.

    The first major goal was to qualify Algeria for the World Cup after 12 years, which was an immense joy and pride for the Algerian people. The next goal is to perform well at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    We also maintain transparent communication with club fitness coaches. Some clubs are very open, others less so. For instance, when we detect asymmetries between a player’s right and left leg during testing, we share this information, especially for younger players. It’s easier with clubs whose fitness staff I know well, and in fact, several of them are former students of mine.

    How does physical preparation differ between a club and a national team? What specific adjustments do you have to make depending on the context and competition schedule?

    In a national team, the key is not to be arrogant, it’s not about imposing your own methods, but adapting to the players. At every training camp, I ask for the players’ usual club programs and try to follow them as closely as possible. Of course, I sometimes make small adjustments, in posture, range of movement, or intensity, to better suit their individual physical characteristics.

    I mainly focus on players who play very frequently or those with chronic issues, making sure to maintain their club routine. It can be challenging because every player follows a different program, but thanks to close coordination with the physiotherapists and assistant coaches, we manage to maintain a consistent and personalized approach.

    With a national team, the preparation window is much shorter than in club football, we don’t develop players; we optimize them. My key role is to monitor training load, define intensity guidelines, manage space usage during sessions, and control fatigue levels throughout the camp.

    You’ve worked in several countries, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, France, and now Algeria. What drove you to work abroad, and how have these experiences shaped you?

    When I moved to Switzerland, it was out of ambition. After my experience with Perugia in Serie A, the club wanted me to stay in their training setup. However, a Swiss player I worked closely with introduced me to an agent who offered me a head fitness coach position in a Swiss club. Since I wanted to remain in professional football, I accepted.

    My move to France happened in a similar way, through my network of players and coaches. Each country has taught me something different: In France, there is a strong culture of running and athletic preparation. In Italy, the focus is on strength, power, and speed, areas where training is highly advanced. In Turkey, the game is much more aggressive, so adaptation is key.

    Working in different countries has helped me understand various cultures and personalities, and not to take things personally or get easily offended.

    My time at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia was also a major learning experience. I discovered the Saudi and Muslim culture, while simultaneously working with FIFA on the management of international referees in preparation for the World Cup in Qatar. The close relationship between Qatar and Saudi Arabia helped me secure the role at Al-Nassr. This experience in Saudi Arabia prepared me very well for my current position with the Algerian Football Federation.

    You’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the top coaches in the world, such as Rudi Garcia. What are the most memorable lessons you’ve learned from working alongside these managers? Have there been any mentors who particularly influenced you?

    The person who taught me the most is Roberto Morini, my first professional coach in Switzerland (at Lugano and Servette). He taught me how to plan training sessions and optimize performance while minimizing injuries, a key priority for Swiss clubs that often rely on a small core of starting players. I also learned a lot from the Swiss sense of discipline and organization, especially in managing details.

    I learned a great deal from Rudi Garcia as well, he’s an intelligent coach with an excellent sense of human relations. He always gave me a lot of freedom in my work. After several years working together, sharing both successes and setbacks, we developed very precise methods concerning workload management, GPS analysis, and biomechanics. Thanks to him, I learned how to better balance physical effort depending on player profiles, especially during intense European seasons.

    My current coach with Algeria, Vladimir Petković, who led the Swiss national team for many years, has taught me how to work effectively within the unique context of a national team. I’ve also had the chance to collaborate with several top French coaches who helped refine my game reading and tactical understanding.

    The world of physical preparation is very specific, it’s based on clear physiological principles that can sometimes be complex. The fitness coach’s role is to simplify those concepts and translate them into football language so that coaches can easily understand and apply them on the pitch.

    What are your ambitions for the future of your career?

    My goal is to perform at the World Cup and go as far as possible with the national team.

    Since most of my career has been in clubs, I now aim to move into a Director of Performance role, either with a national team or a professional club.

    I would also like to work alongside a young, ambitious coach, a former professional player looking to build a successful second career.

    Finally, I want to share my knowledge, by mentoring young professionals in their development and by teaching in federation training programs, particularly within professional coaching license courses.

    The Business of League and Tournament Sponsorships

    By
    Jamie Khan
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    UEFA Champions League trophy display in Madrid ahead of the 2019 final, showcasing the tournament’s global scale and branding power.
    Rafael Henrique Serra, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    If you want to understand why “league partners” and “official sponsors” sit at the center of modern sports marketing, look at the scale and certainty they buy. Global competitions deliver guaranteed, repeatable moments where audiences show up in the hundreds of millions, media schedules are locked for years, and brands can plan multi-market storytelling with the rights to the IP fans love. Below is a practical tour of how the biggest football properties structure these deals, who the heavyweight brands are, and why the model keeps growing.

    Why brands buy league and tournament rights (not just teams)

    • Mass, predictable reach. Global finals can draw audiences most marketers will never find elsewhere. FIFA says the Qatar 2022 World Cup final reached close to 1.5 billion people worldwide, and five billion engaged with tournament content across platforms, a reminder that a single event can deliver multiple campaigns’ worth of exposure.
    • Category exclusivity. League-level partners typically lock rivals out across an entire competition (beer, payments, airline, gaming, etc.), something club deals can’t guarantee.
    • Ownable IP and assets. Beyond logos on LED boards, partners get marks, player imagery (subject to rights), hospitality, trophy tours, ticketing promotions, and broadcast integrations that can be deployed across dozens of markets over multiple seasons.
    • Cross-property leverage. Increasingly, a single contract spans men’s and women’s competitions, youth tournaments, and community programs—one buy, many platforms. Heineken’s women’s football deal with UEFA (running to 2025) is a good example of that multi-property approach.

    How the deals are structured

    Although every contract is bespoke, most major competition partnerships share a common architecture:

    • Tiered rights packages. Properties sell a small number of “top-tier” global partners with category exclusivity (e.g., beer, airline, payments), then a second layer of global sponsors, and sometimes regional supporters with rights limited to specific territories. FIFA formalizes this as FIFA Partners, FIFA World Cup Sponsors, and Regional Supporters, a clean model that protects value at the top while allowing local activation below.
    • Multi-year cycles. Rights typically run in 3–4-year cycles (UEFA) or across a World Cup cycle (FIFA), giving brands time to build, test, and optimize platforms, rather than “one-and-done” flights.
    • Integrated asset menus:
      • Global IP and logo lock-ups
      • Broadcast-visible LED and virtual signage
      • Digital content & data rights (e.g., “Official Statistics/Cloud Partner”)
      • Hospitality & ticketing
      • Player/legend access (subject to separate image rights)
      • Grassroots & inclusion programs (increasingly mandatory)
    • Measurement and reporting. Brands demand proof. Most top properties now include independent media valuation, brand lift studies, and digital engagement reporting in their packages, often via official analytics partners.

    Case study 1: UEFA Champions League; decades-long brand platforms

    For almost three decades, the UEFA Champions League has delivered a stable, premium sponsorship roster. Some of the longest-serving partners are still on the shirt:

    • Heineken (beer & 0.0) has backed the competition since 1994 and renewed through 2027, a rare span for any global platform. The brewer also backs UEFA women’s football to 2025, evidence of the “one portfolio, many properties” strategy.
    • Mastercard has also been a Champions League mainstay since 1994, renewing again through 2027. “Priceless” moments were built for this environment.
    • Other current Champions League partners in the 2024–27 cycle include PepsiCo (Pepsi/Lay’s/Gatorade), PlayStation, FedEx, Just Eat Takeaway, Qatar Airways, Expedia, Crypto.com, and Bet365, reflecting both legacy categories and newer economy entrants.

    “UEFA’s format expansion beginning 2024/25 increased total match inventory and created more high-value broadcast windows, sponsorship value tracks the number and quality of moments available to activate.”

    Why it works: UEFA’s format expansion beginning 2024/25 increased total match inventory and created more high-value broadcast windows, sponsorship value tracks the number and quality of moments available to activate.

    Case study 2: FIFA World Cup; global tiers and global numbers

    FIFA’s commercial program is deliberately tiered and global:

    • Top-tier FIFA Partners (e.g., Adidas, Coca-Cola, Wanda Group, Hyundai-Kia, Visa, Qatar Airways) hold rights across all FIFA events.
    • World Cup Sponsors focus on the tournament itself (e.g., AB InBev renewed as beer sponsor for 2026/2030). Regional Supporters then add local reach in host markets.

    The prize for brands is unparalleled audience concentration: FIFA’s own reporting places the Qatar 2022 final at ~1.5bn reach and 5bn engaged across the tournament. It also documents social reach and engagements at a scale few other events approach.

    Case study 3: Premier League & WSL; category partners with data and purpose

    The Premier League moved away from title sponsorship in 2016/17 and now sells a small set of category-defining roles:

    • EA SPORTS FC (lead partner)
    • Nike (official ball)
    • Oracle (official cloud & advanced stats)
    • Budweiser (beer)
    • Hublot (timekeeper)
    • Avery Dennison (name/number & sleeve badges)
    • Barclays (official banking partner)

    On the women’s side, Barclays made a landmark bet on the English women’s pyramid, becoming title partner of the Barclays Women’s Super League (and Women’s Championship) in 2019. That commitment has since been extended through 2029, a long runway that has helped fund development across the ecosystem.

    “Heineken and PepsiCo are treating women’s rights packages as mainstream platforms, not side projects. That’s where the market is going.”

    Earlier reporting pegged the 2022–25 phase as the largest investment in UK women’s sport by a brand, and the newest extension continues that scale.

    Entertainment built in: sponsors as showrunners

    The line between sport and entertainment keeps blurring, and sponsors are increasingly the producers:

    • PepsiCo will bring pre-kickoff concerts to the UEFA Women’s Champions League finals through 2030, mirroring its men’s final activations and using Lay’s/Gatorade to reach different fan cohorts, proof that rights are now content engines, not just logo placements.

    What partners actually buy, and how they activate

    • Cultural moments at scale. With UEFA estimating Champions League final “reach” figures in the hundreds of millions, partners build annual tentpoles: new product drops, brand films, and social challenges all timed to matchdays and draws.
    • Category exclusivity and IP. From pouring rights in fan zones to using the trophy silhouette in packaging, the ability to be the official brand in a category for years is the moat.
    • Data-driven storytelling. Cloud/statistics partnerships (e.g., Premier League x Oracle) give brands persistent on-screen presence while powering second-screen content and fantasy integrations.
    • Purpose & participation. Women’s football packages routinely include grassroots and inclusion programs (e.g., UEFA’s Together #WePlayStrong), aligning brand activity with growth of the game.
    • Multi-market execution. Airlines, payment networks, and beverages can activate in 50+ countries with one creative platform, localized by market—why the Champions League and the World Cup over-index for truly global brands.

    How the money flows back into the game

    At UEFA level, commercial (media + sponsorship) growth from the 2024/25 format change is designed to lift distributions to clubs across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, proof that better inventory equals better economics for both rights-holder and participants.

    In England, Barclays’ long-horizon backing of the WSL/Championship has underwritten visible development: more full-time pros, improved facilities, and stronger marketing that feeds the audience flywheel.

    Takeaways for brands

    • Pick platforms that match your footprint. Global networks (payments, airlines, beverages) are built for FIFA/UEFA scale; challenger and DTC brands can win with regional tiers or women’s properties where cut-through is higher per dollar.
    • Buy fewer, do more. The most effective partners (Heineken, Mastercard, PepsiCo, PlayStation) renew through multiple cycles and keep building—consistency beats novelty.
    • Own moments, not just minutes. Data visualizations, pre-match shows, and social-first content are now the real assets, LED is table stakes.
    • Use women’s football as a growth engine, not a CSR line. Heineken and PepsiCo are treating women’s rights packages as mainstream platforms, not side projects. That’s where the market is going.

    The bottom line

    Leagues and tournaments give brands what few other media investments can: certainty of attention at continental or global scale, protected by exclusivity and delivered through repeatable cultural moments. From UEFA’s decades-long partnerships with Heineken and Mastercard to FIFA’s tiered global program and the Premier League’s data-led roles, the playbook is clear: secure long-term rights, activate relentlessly, measure hard, and keep showing up. The result is a compounding asset for brands, and a funding engine for the sport.

    If you’re planning your own approach, start by choosing the stage first (global vs. regional), then the story you can tell year after year. The properties that win for brands are the ones you build with, not the ones you rent for a season.

    Who is Elena Fernández?

    By
    The Football Week
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    Elena Fernández, Spain’s pioneering goalkeeper coach, during a training session with the national youth team.
    Elena Fernández, Spain’s first female goalkeeper coach with a UEFA A licence, continues to inspire a new generation through her work with the national youth teams.

    When a young Spanish goalkeeper decided to switch sides of the pitch, she did not just start coaching, she began rewriting football history.

    Elena Fernández is one of Spain’s most respected goalkeeper coaches and the only woman in Spain to hold the UEFA Goalkeeper Coach A licence. After an early injury ended her playing career, she became a trailblazer as the first woman to coach goalkeepers in a semi-professional men’s team. She has since worked with Spain’s U17, U19 and U20 national teams, winning European and World Cup titles while continuing to broaden her knowledge of the game. With a degree in Sports Science, a UEFA Goalkeeper Coach A licence and a passion for equality, Fernández represents a new era of intelligence and leadership in football.

    “Elena Fernández represents a new era of intelligence and leadership in football.”

    Our exclusive interview with Elena Fernández

    You started coaching while still playing in Spain’s second division. How did that early experience shape your understanding of goalkeeping and leadership?

    That was one of the most important steps in my career. Coaching goalkeepers while I was still training and studying opened up a completely new world for me. It helped me understand the position more deeply and gave me a clearer sense of the reasoning behind every decision made on the pitch. At the same time, facing competitive challenges as a player helped me better understand, as a coach, the specific demands of the position during matches.

    At university, I was gaining new knowledge and could immediately apply it in practice, often exchanging ideas with my own goalkeeper coaches. That combination shaped the foundation of the coach I am today.

    You became the first woman to coach goalkeepers in a semi-professional men’s team in Spain. What did that milestone mean to you personally and professionally?

    When the opportunity came to coach my first men’s team at that level, I was already looking for a way to gain experience in men’s football, but I did not expect it to happen so quickly or in such a competitive environment. It was only a year after finishing university. Although I had coached men before through internships, stepping into that level brought a new sense of responsibility. Still, I knew I was ready for it.

    Professionally, it was an incredible journey. Managing the goalkeepers, working closely with the technical staff, and solving challenges together taught me so much. I learned from everyone around me, which made me a better coach and professional. It also brought unexpected visibility. Suddenly, I appeared in newspapers and on television, which opened doors to connect with respected goalkeeper coaches and exchange knowledge.

    On a personal level, achieving my first two goals was the most meaningful part: earning the respect of my goalkeepers and the team as a whole. Above all, I could be myself and share my passion for football with people who made me believe that aiming higher was possible.

    Working with Spain’s youth national teams, you have won several European and World titles. What makes the Spanish model for goalkeeper development so successful?

    The work done with goalkeepers across Spain is outstanding, thanks to the dedication of so many goalkeeper coaches. At national team level, we have seen a huge rise in quality and competition among goalkeepers in recent years, which is fantastic but also makes the selection process more demanding.

    Another key factor is participation. More and more girls are playing football in Spain, which means a larger pool of female goalkeepers. We now even have players over 1.80 metres tall, something that would have been almost unthinkable a few years ago.

    And finally, what sets Spanish goalkeepers apart is their technical ability with the ball at their feet. The culture of possession football encourages goalkeepers to take part in the build-up, which gives them a strong technical base and a deep tactical understanding of how to find solutions during play.

    “The culture of possession football encourages goalkeepers to take part in the build-up, giving them a strong technical base and tactical understanding.”

    You have coached in both men’s and women’s football, across academy and elite levels. How do you adapt your methods to different players and environments?

    Adaptation begins with understanding context. You cannot train elite players the same way as grassroots players, and you cannot coach men and women in exactly the same way either. Analysing the environment is essential, whether through research, observation or simply asking questions.

    My first experience as a goalkeeper coach was at grassroots level while I was studying Sports Science. What I learned helped me structure my methodology to meet the specific needs of my players. Later, when I started working with men, I had to gather more tactical information, as there are small positional differences compared to women’s football.

    I sometimes worry when goalkeeper coaches come from men’s football and apply the exact same methods to women. It is not about changing exercises, but about understanding the physical and tactical realities of each player and giving them what they need to grow. For me, coaching always starts with the individual’s current needs, not with old habits or preconceptions.

    Education is a key part of your career. How do your academic studies in sports science influence your daily coaching work?

    My studies have given me several advantages. First, the ability to manage training loads and GPS data helps me adapt sessions to each player’s physical condition. Second, my background in biomechanics allows me to recognise technical mistakes and correct them more effectively.

    Finally, being able to design strength training, both in the gym and on the pitch, enables me to link technical execution with physical efficiency. Every exercise is aimed at improving specific movements that directly enhance performance.

    As a UEFA Goalkeeper Coach A licence holder and educator in the Spanish FA’s goalkeeper courses, what advice would you give to young coaches entering the profession?

    My main advice would be simple: keep learning. Make mistakes, learn from them, learn from others, and always stay true to yourself. There is a big difference between being a goalkeeper coach and being a goalkeeper coach who truly makes a difference.

    The first may train goalkeepers but does not always understand why they do what they do, often copying exercises from others in different contexts. The second knows how, when and why to apply a method. They adapt, personalise, and think critically. Of course, the second path takes more effort, but if you really want to stand out, why stop halfway?

    Technology is changing goalkeeper training fast. How do you integrate analysis, data and video tools into your sessions?

    Technical and tactical analysis is essential in modern football. Recording sessions allows us to identify details that are almost impossible to catch in real time. This helps us analyse goalkeepers’ decisions and movements from a technical or tactical point of view.

    Filming matches can be less detailed, as the camera angle is usually wider, but using a camera behind the goal can give valuable insights. I have seen more goalkeeper coaches doing that recently, even though I have not had the chance to use that exact setup myself.

    For me, the most important part comes after analysis. Reviewing match situations with the goalkeeper and using training sessions to reinforce lessons creates a complete feedback process that drives improvement.

    After winning world titles and breaking barriers, what are your next goals in football?

    I always look ahead. I am not someone who gives up easily once I have a goal in mind, and right now, I am excited by the idea of moving abroad and continuing my development within a new culture.

    I would love to keep working with another federation, but I am also open to joining a club team. Both paths offer amazing and very different experiences.

    I am even considering returning to men’s football at some point. After six years, I do miss that environment a little. Whatever comes next, I will face it with enthusiasm and an open mind.

    The Collective Code: The Brain of the Team

    By
    Ash Aslan
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    Football team huddling together before kickoff, symbolizing unity, leadership, and collective intelligence on the pitch.
    Keiteay, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Introduction: The Unseen Intelligence of the Game

    Modern football is not won by instinct. It is won by collective intelligence, by eleven players thinking as one. A team can be perfectly organized on paper, but if the mental rhythm between players is not aligned, the system collapses.

    Collective intelligence is the ability of a team to act as a single brain. It begins with the coach’s plan and comes to life through the captain’s presence on the field.

    The Brain of the Team: Players as the Coach’s Extension

    A coach designs the idea. But that idea only breathes when players understand each other. Players are not just individuals in positions. They are the arms, the legs, and the mind of the coach.

    When a player understands not only where to pass but why, he becomes part of the system. Collective intelligence is the transformation of individual reflexes into a shared instinct.

    “Collective intelligence is the transformation of individual reflexes into a shared instinct.”

    The Captain: The Voice of the Collective Mind

    A captain is not the one who wears the armband. He is the translator of the team’s mind. He carries the message built in the locker room and delivers it through body language, tone, and timing.

    Modern hierarchy in football is not command and control. It is energy transfer. A true captain does not dominate. He regulates. He directs the emotional current of the team. Every great system depends not only on tactics but on communication.

    When the Collective Breaks: What Happens When One Stops Thinking Together

    A team is like a living organism. Every part must work in sync. When one stops moving with the rhythm, you first try to understand, to guide, to heal, to realign. But if that part refuses to think collectively and continues to move for itself, then you remove it. Not in front of the team, but for the team.

    It is not punishment. It is philosophy. Because football is not an individual sport. Those who wish to play alone can choose tennis or boxing. Football is a collective art.

    “Every great system depends not only on tactics but on communication.”

    The Tactical Layer: The Language of the Collective Mind

    Collective intelligence is visible in simple details. The back line moving together. Pressing triggers starting at the same second. Midfield transitions built on silent communication. Immediate reaction after losing possession.

    These are not coincidences. They are understood principles. Players know what to feel in every moment. It is no longer about tactics. It becomes shared intuition.

    The Emotional Core: Trust, Empathy, and the Silent Bond

    A system without emotional trust cannot survive. When one player stops believing in another, the team becomes eleven strangers.

    Empathy is the fuel of collective intelligence. Feeling your teammate’s rhythm, his breath, his pressure, his confidence. That is what turns a mechanical system into a living organism.

    Modern Leadership: From Control to Connection

    Old leadership was about control. Modern leadership is about connection. The relationship between coach, captain, and player must not be vertical but circular. It is not about power. It is about purpose.

    Teams today do not follow those who shout the loudest but those who understand the deepest. Collective intelligence is not born from authority. It is born from alignment.

    Conclusion: The Collective Code

    Collective intelligence is the hidden weapon of modern football. When the coach’s plan, the captain’s voice, and the players’ trust align, the team stops being eleven individuals and becomes one organism. Inside that organism, every part either contributes to the system or gets left behind. Football is no longer the art of playing alone. It is the art of synchronized thought.

    When a team stops running separately and starts feeling together, the game becomes more than tactics. It becomes rhythm.

    Who is Dr. Erkut Sogut?

    By
    Ali Afzal-Khan
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    Dr. Erkut Sogut, Managing Director of Soccer Operations at D.C. United, stands in front of the club’s logo backdrop.
    Dr. Erkut Sogut, Managing Director of Soccer Operations at D.C. United, brings his global experience as a sports lawyer and agent to reshape the club’s long-term football strategy.

    Dr. Erkut Sogut, LLM, is a globally recognized sports lawyer, agent, author, and executive. He is renowned for negotiating some of the largest deals in the industry and for transforming how football professionals are represented, educated, and empowered.

    Born in Hanover, Germany, to Turkish immigrants, Erkut’s academic foundation includes a doctorate in sports law and two Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, equipping him with unique legal and global perspectives. His career has focused on elite-level football, where he has gained deep expertise in international transfers, contract negotiations, and strategic deal-making within top-tier clubs.

    He is also a highly respected educator. As an Adjunct Professor of Sports Law and Management, he has delivered lectures at over 25 institutions around the world. These include Harvard Business School, UCLA, NYU, Bayreuth University, and Istanbul Bilgi University. In addition to his academic work, Erkut is a keynote speaker at international events such as Soccerex, the World Football Summit, and The Football Forum Hungary.

    Dr. Sogut is the author of more than 15 publications, including best-selling guides for aspiring football agents, thought leadership books on women’s football and athlete careers, and a gripping trilogy of football-based novels: Deadline, Remember My Name, and Shattered Pitches.

    In 2025, he was appointed Managing Director of Soccer Operations at D.C. United. In this role, he leads the club’s player acquisition strategy and supports long-term football development alongside head coach René Weiler. His appointment marks a new strategic chapter for the MLS club.

    Fluent in English, German, Turkish, and Spanish, Dr. Sogut brings a global mindset and a purpose-driven vision to every project he leads. Whether educating the next generation, leading football operations at the highest level, or sharing insights through his writing and public speaking, his mission remains consistent: to create value through integrity, knowledge, and connection.

    “Whether educating the next generation, leading football operations at the highest level, or sharing insights through his writing and public speaking, his mission remains consistent: to create value through integrity, knowledge, and connection.”

    Our exclusive interview with Dr. Erkut Sogut

    Who is Dr. Erkut Sogut outside of football?

    I’m a teacher at heart. Whether I’m in a lecture hall, mentoring someone one-on-one, or writing a book, I’m always thinking about how we can learn, grow, and pass knowledge forward. Outside football, I’m a husband, a father of two boys, and someone who finds meaning in simplicity: reading, writing, and sharing ideas. I also enjoy exploring different cultures, which has shaped my global mindset and continues to inspire my work.

    What led you to transition from being a football agent to taking on an executive role at a club like D.C. United?

    After many years advising clubs from the outside, I felt ready to contribute from the inside. D.C. United gave me the opportunity to build something long-term, using both my legal background and my experience in player representation and recruitment. It was a natural progression, moving from deal-making to decision-making at a strategic level. Working alongside René Weiler and a strong leadership team allows me to put ideas into action within a high-performance environment.

    You’ve taught at top universities around the world. What do you enjoy most about working with students?

    There’s something incredibly energizing about being in a room with curious minds. Students ask questions that challenge your thinking and keep you sharp. I see education not just as sharing information, but as unlocking confidence. I want people to walk out of a session believing they can contribute to football in a meaningful way, whether as agents, executives, lawyers, or leaders.

    “I see education not just as sharing information, but as unlocking confidence.”

    You’ve published books ranging from legal guides to football novels. What drives your writing?

    Writing gives me a different kind of freedom. With my nonfiction work, the goal is to demystify the industry, make it more accessible for those who want to enter or understand it. With my novels, I can explore deeper human stories, including the darker sides of football that people rarely see. Fiction allows me to say things that are emotionally true, even if they’re not literally factual.

    Having lived and worked in Europe and the U.S., what differences stand out to you between football cultures?

    In Europe, football is deeply woven into everyday life, it’s cultural, political and emotional. In the U.S., it’s growing quickly but with a different energy, it is more structure, more innovation, more space to experiment. What I appreciate about MLS is the ambition to grow responsibly, and the openness to learning from global models while creating something uniquely American.

    What values guide you when making difficult decisions in your role?

    Integrity is always the starting point. I believe in being honest, even when the message is tough. I also try to think long-term, how does this decision affect people, the club, the culture we’re building? And finally, empathy. Football is a business, but it’s built on human relationships. Understanding people’s motivations and perspectives helps create solutions that work for everyone.

    You’ve mentored hundreds of aspiring agents and professionals. What advice do you give most often?

    Be obsessed with learning. This industry changes fast, and what worked yesterday might be outdated today. Also, don’t chase success, but chase value. If you consistently create value for others, success will follow in its own way. And finally, protect your integrity. Football is a reference business.

    What’s next for you, personally or professionally?

    Right now, my focus is fully on D.C. United, building a strong squad, a strong structure, and a culture that can compete at the highest level. Beyond that, I’ll continue writing and teaching whenever possible. I’m passionate about shaping the future of football, through education, creativity, and collaboration.

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