UEFA CFM Croatia course

UEFA's concerted drive to help its member associations develop their football management skills through its pan-European Certificate in Football Management programme (UEFA CFM) is proving its worth across the continent.

The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) – together with England, a pilot association for the new updated UEFA CFM European programme – welcomed colleagues from the associations of Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Greece and Slovenia for the kick-off seminar in the latest edition of the course, which will see participants enhance their knowledge for the overall benefit of European football. The CFM program consists of six interactive online modules, and three seminars will be held in Croatia.

The UEFA CFM is an e-learning programme aimed at helping the UEFA member associations' middle management enhance and increase their knowledge of sports and in particular football management. The UEFA CFM is now offered by different national associations at a national level, and UEFA and the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) – the academic partner awarding the certificates – ensure that consistency exists between the various national editions, while still allowing each association to tailor the programme to their local context.

Each module of the course deals with key areas of football in the national associations – including football organisation, strategy and strategic management, operational management, marketing and sponsorship, communications, media and public relations, organisation of events and organisation of volunteers. The programme has been prepared and is conducted by internationally renowned academics from universities in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

The UEFA CFM is aimed at developing the theoretical and practical knowledge of managers in European football. It contributes, as a result, to the diffusion of up-to-date management techniques and best practices among national associations and their stakeholders (regional associations, clubs, etc.), and enabling participants to master the knowledge and skills expected of future senior executives. The HNS's specific course has enabled not only association employees, but also those of first and second-division clubs and county football associations to take part in this unique, international education initiative.

The five national associations joining Croatia in the course have sent representatives of, among others, their marketing, communications and international relations departments to take part in the course, and the HNS president Davor Šuker was present at the opening to give the group of 26 participants words of encouragement and motivation as they set off on eight months of studies.

He was joined in wishing the students good luck by Ivančica Sudac, the HNS's head of international affairs and licensing, the Croatian association's project director, head of the HNS football academy, Vatroslav Mihačić, and the Croatian FA's project coordinator, HNS football academy education expert Boris Kubla. The next module is scheduled for January 2015.