The UEFA MIP: Turning stars on the pitch into leaders off it

The fifth edition of the UEFA Executive Master for Internal Players (MIP) is under way, bringing together a wealth of heralded names from world football for eight week-long sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of football administration and management. The third session took place in Lisbon, Portugal, between 13 and 17 May, addressing the most effective ways to organise football competitions.

The MIP is a tailor-made course for former international players, coaches and referees. It is designed to help them leverage the unique skills and experience they have gathered from operating at the highest levels of football to prepare for new careers within football organisations after they’ve hung up their boots.

Understanding modern football

Among the key topics in Lisbon were how the football ecosystem is organised, future developments in national and international football competitions, and investment trends in European football – including issues surrounding multi-club ownership.

Pedro Proença, the president of Liga Portugal, spoke to participants on the challenges currently facing national football leagues.

"It was an honour, as president of the European Leagues and Liga Portugal, to host the UEFA MIP at the home of professional football in Portugal," said Proença. "This is indeed a magnificent project that brings together the tools and knowledge necessary for the future leaders of this industry. It was a privilege to share my experience and insight from my career and how I made a successful transition from elite refereeing to top management."

Future leaders in football administration

The 31 members of the current cohort boast more than 1,600 international caps between them. Among those in Lisbon were former Denmark defender Janni Arnth, Romanian goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon and former Cameroon, Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Alex Song.

"This week in Lisbon was incredibly enlightening," said Song. "In addition to learning about competition design and its potential impact, we engaged in lively discussions about the transfer market and the ever-evolving economic landscape of professional football. I found the details about how training compensations and solidarity payments are calculated fascinating."

The opportunity to connect with fellow participants and share insights is a key part of the MIP, as Song highlights. "Reconnecting with fellow participants — who have become good friends — was also an absolute highlight," he said. "I am looking forward to our next session in Madrid!"

Former Arsenal and Barcelona player, Alex Song

"This week in Lisbon was incredibly enlightening. In addition to learning about competition design and its potential impact, we engaged in lively discussions about the transfer market and the ever-evolving economic landscape of professional football. I found the details about how training compensations and solidarity payments are calculated fascinating."

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Following in famed footsteps

The list of MIP alumni is full of greats of the game who have gone on to achieve notable success in their new careers. Nearly a third of them now work as sporting and technical directors, others as coaches, scouts or within football associations and clubs. More than 80 per cent have been hired or promoted following the course.

Among those alumni is Simon Rolfes, who graduated from the first MIP programme in 2017. The former Germany international spent ten seasons playing for Bayer Leverkusen, before putting the skills from the MIP into good practice, first as the club’s director of the youth academy, and then as sporting director.

Since 2022, he has been Leverkusen’s managing director of sport, and played a significant role in the club’s historic Bundesliga-winning season. The lessons learned on the MIP have set him in good stead.

"The course offers an ideal transition from an active playing career to the next level in professional football," says Rolfes. "The personal development you gain on the MIP is second to none."

Rolfes is also eager to highlight how valuable the network of MIP alumni has been. "The networking possibilities are outstanding," he adds. "Through the UEFA MIP programme, I have made countless contacts that are now invaluable to me in my role at Leverkusen."