Careers in football

[Haarithan]

Anyone here aspiring/already seeing out your career in the field of football? Eg: Manager/assistant/scout/agent/ref/etc..

If so, can you let me know the courses available for the same? And also the universities promoting it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

It's going to depend on where you are. My best advise is to work for free at the highest possible level you have an "in". If you know someone at Barcelona (just an example), volunteer to do ANYTHING for free, just so you can get in. Cut the grass, fill up the bus with gas, etc. The lower the club is, the more responsibility they'll give to someone willing to work for free. If you're at a university with a football team, be a student manager/whatever its called where you are. If you played for a university or manager who is now at a decently high level, ask to be an assistant and say that you will start at the lowest level. You can always get a job managing 13 year olds at the local club, but I don't think this is a genuine way to advance if you want a career. Use all connections you have, and try to eventually get in the good graces of a manager who is going places; when he gets that next job he'll hopefully see how talented you are and bring you along. This is basically the Mourinho/Vilas Boas path. If you speak languages, it's not the worst idea to try and be a translator at a high level club.

Note: managing 13 year olds within the structure of a big club actually might get you some real advancement, so basically only try this at pro clubs. High school managing could do something, because people care about that and if you build a winning program local universities will take notice. Also, if you ever get a truly great player, leverage that into an assistant job with a big university; I think this is probably true if you manage at a club and have a great player who is deciding between several pro clubs. Tell those clubs that you will funnel him to the club that also takes you on in some capacity.

For front office, this is all about university, but more specifically university program connections. Everything is about connections. 99% of the time you are just better off going to the best university that admits you because of alumni networking and just the prestige of your degree. However, in this field I think that's not necessarily true; you want to find the program with the best internships. Some schools/programs are known for producing great students and as a result have a wealth of internship programs that they hand out to students with no problem. This is what you want; it's not always the most prestigious school either. The university that can get you working in the Chelsea front office during summers, and ALSO during the school year, is the place you want to go. I would also suggest that you study statistics and/or economics, because that is the way the wind is blowing.

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. Everything is about connections, and if you have a goal in mind you need to put yourself in a place to make those connections.

EDIT: I would also suggest that you consider moving abroad because you will be exotic in other countries. Let's just use Arnau as an example: in Barcelona he's one of millions of guys with footballing knowledge, but if he were to move to Paraguay or Mexico or the United States, now he is an exotic Catalan bringing Barcelona principles to the club. He would be way more in demand. In the USA this is true of pretty much anyone who isn't an American; if you are foreign you will be taken much more seriously as a managerial candidate than an American... provided you are from a place with a footballing history. I suppose an Indian or Chinese guy wouldn't get the same boost.

 

[Mandieta6]

I don't know anything about becoming a manager, but getting those coaching badges that the top level managers have would be good. I assume those are likes expensive Master's programmes you could do. Would be worth some research, I remember an acquaintance of mine talking about his dad working on his badges alongside Pep.

 

[Juventino]

For your credibility it's better if you played at the level you aspire to manage/coach at. What are you going to teach a professional player or a great talent if you didn't play at a significant level yourself? Of course there are exceptions, but I think there aren't many.

I think Cruijff also talked about this. Of course Ajax is one of the greatest youth academies in the world, but I think he only wants ex-pros (preferably from the Ajax academy themselves) coaching their youth.

 

[Haarithan]

Cheers for all the input guys, much appreciated.

I'm Indian and as you all probably know, there is little to no scope whatsoever here in our nation regarding football. Hence I'm really thinking about moving abroad (probably somewhere in Europe) to have atleast a percent's chance of making it through.

Anyway, I just googled regarding the same and apparently the University of Liverpool offers a Football Industry MBA course. Have mailed an Indian team of staff members/counselors working there, regarding this. Fingers crossed.

 

[Juventino]

Cool! Keep us updated.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Do you aspire to manage or run a club? The "foreign manager" cache would also apply to you getting educated in England and returning home. They'll probably give you preference over domestically educated people.

Make sure that Univ Liverpool program has connections and internships with the local clubs.

 

[Haarithan]

Bloody hell that was insanely quick haha:

Dear Haarithan,

Thank you for your email.

Some general information on the career prospects for graduates of our Football Industries MBA programme is provided here:

http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/postgrad...ght/football-industries-mba/career-prospects/

In addition, our current students and graduates have access to our excellent Careers and Employability Service, who can provide expert assistance and guidance both during your studies and for up to five years after your graduation. For further information please see:

http://www.liv.ac.uk/careers/prospective/index.htm

Details of the course content, general entry requirements, fees and application procedure for the Football Industries MBA are provided on the following page:

http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/postgrad...hool/taught/football-industries-mba/overview/

Please click the relevant tabs for further information. Information on entry requirements for Indian students is provided here:

http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/international/countries/india.htm/

I hope that this helps. If I can be of any further assistance then please let me know.

Best wishes

Bex

Bex Woods
Enquiries Officer

Student Recruitment and Admissions Office
University of Liverpool
Reilly Building
160 Mount Pleasant
Liverpool
L3 5TR

Make sure that Univ Liverpool program has connections and internships with the local clubs.

Looks an impressive list to me:

http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/postgrad...ght/football-industries-mba/career-prospects/

Although..

A 2010 FIMBA Alumni Association survey of graduates found that nearly 60% of graduates were currently working in the football or sports industries. Many more have worked in these industries at some time, or will do so in the future. Primarily, these were the students who already had some relevant experience before commencing the MBA, for example in business and management in other fields, in law, the media or journalism. It also helps if you have additional skills such as foreign languages, IT, or communication skills that may be useful to an employer.

Unfortunately I'm only just about to get my undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) done...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

An MBA wouldn't be a good career move for you in all honesty. To be honest, I think MBAs are massive wastes of time and money. Also, that entire section was about what former students go on to do, not what they are hooked up with through the school during their studies. What you need to look for is a program that gets you not just the credential, but also several good internships to put on your resume so that when you graduate you have both education AND impressive work experience. You should ask about specific internships and programs they have for current students.

Also you have a very valuable and practical undergraduate degree that can take you all over the world and earn you money. Why do you want to get into running a two-bit football club?

 

[Mandieta6]

That program is for executive positions. A quick glance tells me that those who work at that don't become managers, but non-coaching staff. Which is a cool career path, but surely EEE is a safer route?

 

[Haarithan]

Think becoming a manager is not even remotely possible, considering there have been like five managers who've managed top profile clubs without actually being a professional footballer themselves?

Don't mind ending up as a non-coaching staff at all, considering all I really want is to make a career out of this sport and be involved in one way or the other.

EEE definitely a safer route as you say, but I honestly don't have time for the Core/IT companies that recruit us engineers towards the end. Too stressful for my liking. These last four years of having to put up with engineering was a big big mistake in my life.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Fair enough, can't criticize someone for realizing halfway through that their chosen profession sucks. At least you aren't sticking around and being deeply unhappy like 99% of people. An MBA is still a bad investment though.

 

[Arnau]

I'm UEFA licence B coach, currently taking A badge and coaching in C.F. Badalona youth teams. Next season i'll be coaching a senior team as well in 3era Catalana (Olimpia II, where i'm the assistant), players demanded to the president to fire the coach and hire me.

http://www.fcf.cat/pnfg/NPcd/NFG_VisEquipos?cod_primaria=1000119&Codigo_Equipo=40409

 

[yoyo913]

What are your duties?

 

[Arnau]

In Badalona i'm the u-12 team coach. In Olympia, i'm the assistant of one stupid authoritarian bitch that doesn't let anyone think, discuss or tell him what their think (he basically doesn't give a shit and blames everyone but himself when things are not going well).

 

[yoyo913]

What do you do as the Olympia assistant at practices/ game?

And what strategy do you tell to the u-12s?

 

[Arnau]

I do what the head coach tell me to do, and convince the players how much better i'm to get the charge (which i already did for the next season). The second question is weird.

 

[MaestroZidane]

Can you sign me a shirt from your team and send it to me? That way when you win La liga with Barca, I'll have something to sell.

 

[Xifio]

Badalonamunt! yeah, send me one too, Arnau ...

Haari: contacts are definitely the way to go, especially in countries where the football body offers nothing like the level of organization and opportunity seen in Europe ... you can also go the route of sports science, if you want a degree ...

 

[Mus]

I'm a referee in the state pool here I've reffed in canberra like once