Module 1: Football industry, governance and European football competitions

 Monday 15 January 2024: The football industry and its governance

9:30

Welcome address and introduction to the course

Robby Houben (Professor University of Antwerp)

9:45

Who is who?

All participants

10:15

The football industry & its financial framework

Dirk Decorte (Professor University of Antwerp)

11:30

Coffee break

12:00

The governance of football in Europe: the regulators

Marco Amezcua (Senior Legal Counsel at Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA))

12:30

The governance of football in Europe: 

the clubs

Dennis Gudasic (Executive director Lokomotiva Zagreb and co-founder Union of European Clubs (UEC))

13:00

Lunch

14:00

The governance of football in Europe: 

the leagues

Alberto Colombo (Deputy General Secretary at European Leagues (EL))

14:30

The governance of football in Europe: 

the players

Joachim Walltin (General Secretary at Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (FIFPRO) division Europe)

15:00

The governance of football in Europe:

the agents

Roberto Branco Martins (General counsel European Football Agents Association)

15:30

The governance of football in Europe: 

the fans

Ronan Evain (Chief executive officer at Football Supporters Europe (FSE))

16:00

Coffee break

16:30

Stakeholder debate with FIFA, UEC, EL, FIFPRO, EFAA, FSE

moderated by Robby Houben (Professor University of Antwerp)

18:00

Break

19:00

Welcome reception

20:00

Opening dinner


Tuesday 16 January 2024: (European) football competitions

9:30

Warm-up 

All participants

9:45

The Belgian competition format: recall

Lorin Parys (CEO Belgian Pro League)

10:15

Designing Competitions

Hypercube business innovation

11:15

Coffee break

11:45

Designing competitions: workshop

All participants, with the guidance of Hypercube business innovation

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Competition formats in other sports: basketball and cycling

Tomas Van Den Spiegel (CEO at Flanders Classics, President at Union of European Leagues of Basketball (ULEB), Board and Exco member at Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) Europe, Director RSC Anderlecht (Belgian Pro League)

15:00

Coffee break

15:30

The Super League as challenger

Bernd Reichart (CEO at A22 Sports - advisor and promoter of the European Super League)

Javier Tebas (President La Liga)

17:00

End of module 1

Module 2: Managing football clubs

Monday 26 February 2024: Financial management and communication

9:30

Club communication (strategy)

Lou Buggy (Change and communication specialist)

11:00

Coffee break

11:30

Club communication (strategy): exercises

Lou Buggy

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Leadership

Erik Franck (Professor University of Antwerp, Coach at Better Minds at Work)

15:30

Coffee break

16:00

Leadership: exercises

Erik Franck 

17:30

End


Tuesday 27 February 2024: Leadership, operational and strategic management

9:30

Warm-up 

All participants

9:45

Financial management of clubs

Kieran Maguire (Professor University of Liverpool Management School, Author of ‘The Price of Football’)

11:15

Coffee break

11:45

Financial management of clubs: exercises

Kieran Maguire

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Strategic management of clubs

Mikkel Draebye (Professor at SDA Bocconi School of Management, Italy)

15:30

Coffee break

16:00

Strategic management of clubs: exercises

Mikkel Draebye

17:00

End of module 2

Module 3: Football players and transfers

Monday 18 March 2024: Players - working with data and transfers contracts

9:30

Data analytics in football

Stefan Szymanski (Professor Stephen J. Galetti Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan (USA), Co-Author ‘Soccernomics’)


11:30

Coffee break

12:00

Case study: Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

Chris O’Loughlin (Sporting director Royale Union Saint-Gilloise)


13:00

Lunch

14:00

The regulation of player transfers and termination of contract 

Michele Colucci (Member of the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber and the FIFPRO Dispute Committee)

15:30

Coffee break

16:00

The transfer contract: drafting solic clauses and avoiding disputes

Frans De Weger (Chair of the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber)

17:30

End


Tuesday 19 March 2024: Working with agents, minors and transfer round table  

9:30

Warm-up 

All participants

9:45

​Working with football agents: latest state of affairs of the rules

Stijn Francis (Football agent Stirr Associates)

Tine Matton (CEO Stirr Associates)

11:00

Coffee break

11:30

Negotiating with football agents: tips & tricks from a legal perspective

Stijn Francis (Football agent Stirr Associates)

Tine Matton (Chief executive officer Stirdd Associates)

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Working with minors

Sven Demeulemeester (Lawyer AtField)

15:00

Coffee break

15:30

Round table on transfers

​Vincent Mannaert (CEO Club Brugge)

Sven Jaecques (CEO Royal Antwerp FC)

Stijn Francis

Mats Rits (Player RSCA Anderlecht)

Simon Mignolet (Player Club Brugge)

17:00

End of module 3

Module 4: Licensing, financial fair play, compliance and tax

Monday 15 April 2024: Licensing and financial fair play

9:30

Warm-up

All participants

9:45
Football club licensing and financial fair play in Spain (remote session) 
Javier Gomez (Corporate General Manager La Liga)
10:25

Football club licensing and financial fair play in Belgium

Nils Van Brantegem (License manager Royal Belgian Football Association)

11:15

Coffee break

11:45

Licensing and financial fair play: panel discussion

Alex Muzio (President and owner Union Royale Union Saint-Gilloise)
Florian Frindte (CFO KAS Eupen)
Steven Beulque (CFO SV Zulte Waregem)
Nils Van Brantegem

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Financial fair play in the UK Premier League: the points deduction cases and the UK football governance bill
(remote session)

Kieran Maguire (Professor University of Liverpool Management School, Author of ‘The Price of Football’)
15:00

Intermezzo: the what? Introduction to the Dutch Federatie van Betaald voetbal Organisaties (FBO)

Laura Van Putten (General manager FBO)

15:30

Coffee break

16:00

About the owner. Multi-club ownership in football

Siniša Petrović (Professor at University of Zagreb, Croatia)
Pierre Locht (CEO Standard de Liège)

17:30

End


Tuesday 16 April 2024: Compliance and tax

9:30

Warm-up 

All participants

9:45

Compliance: why is it important for a football club?

Vincent Denonville (Konfidens Consulting, Former Head of Compliance Operations & Strategy at FIFA, 

Former compliance officer Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Bank of America Merrill Lynch)

10:45

The FIFA Clearing House

César Chapparo Yedro (Head of Clearing House at FIFA)

11:30

Coffee break

12:00

Compliance and anti-money laundering in Belgium – selected topics with exercises

Pieter De Beus (Compliance officer at Royal Belgian Football Association)

Kris Meskens (Secretary-General at Belgian Financial Intelligence Processing Unit (CTIF – CFI), the Belgian Financial Intelligence Unit)

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Taxation of professional football 

Karolina Tetlak (Professor University of Warsaw, Poland)Daan Buylaert (Lawyer Atfield)

15:30

Coffee break

16:00

Taxation of professional football: exercises

Karolina Tetlak (Professor University of Warsaw, Poland)

Daan Buylaert (Lawyer Atfield)

17:00

End of module 4

Module 5: Women’s football, sustainability and community service

Monday 3 June 2024: Women’s football, sustainability and community service

9:30

Warm-up 

All participants

9:45

(Promoting) women’s football

Jo Van Grunderbeeck (Coordinator Elite Sport @ Voetbal Vlaanderen; Head of Coaching OH Leuven)

11:30

Coffee break

12:00

Women’s football – testimonial

Sterre Gielen (player Club YLA)

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Football club’s community service

Mike Green (Former Head of City in the Community, CEO Lommel SK)

15:00

Building sustainable clubs: learning from the greenest club in the world, Forest Green Rovers

Helen Taylor (Forest Green Rovers FC Ambassador)

16:00

Coffee break

16:30

Case study community service, fan engagement and sustainability: Brentford FC

​Greig Mailer (Corporate Affairs Director at Brentford FC)

17:30

Break

19:00

Closing reception

19:30

Live interview: sponsoring a football club and the sponsor’s (societal) expectations

Christophe Hamal (CEO Baloise Belgium, sponsor KAA Gent)
Laurent Secheret (Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, Sponsor: RSCA Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Forest Green Rovers)

20:00

Closing dinner

All participants and alumni Pro League Business School 2023


Tuesday 4 June 2024: Sharing best practices and the geopolitical economy of football

9:30

Warm-up 

All participants

9:45

Sharing best practices: Pro League Business School elevator pitches

All participants

11:00

Coffee break

11:30

Sharing best practices: Pro League Business School elevator pitches

All participants

13:00

Lunch

14:00

The geopolitical economy of football:
power, politics, money, and the state

Simon Chadwick (Professor Skema Business School, Paris, France)

15:45

Closing address

Robby Houben (Professor University of Antwerp)

16:00

End of module 5

When? 

10 days between January and June 2024.

5 modules of two full, consecutive days per module.

  • 15 - 16 January 2024
  • 26 - 27 February 2024
  • 18 - 19 March 2024
  • 15 - 16 April 2024
  • 3 - 4 June 2024


Where?

City campus of the University of Antwerp and online (live and recorded).

Participants from abroad are encouraged to follow at least two module in person, to maximize networking experience.