Training professional figures in Italian football through a multidisciplinary approach, integrating legal, economic, political, sociological and linguistic knowledge: This is the aim of the ‘Football University,’ the first university in the world that aims to train students in the specific and in-depth knowledge of the world’s most popular sport. Students will be prepared as managerial figures for the main roles related to football governance, within clubs and footballing institutions. 

This project is the only one of this type: Conceived by the San Raffaele University of Rome, Italy’s leading digital university in terms of quality of research, it was developed in partnership with the FIGC - Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (Italian Football Federation), with the collaboration of AIC (Italian Footballers’ Association) and AIAC (Italian Football Coaches’ Association.)

The core of the Football University is the three-year course in the Science of Football Administration, which complements the three-year degree course in Physical Education Football curriculum, launched in the 2018-2019 academic year. 

“Behind a great sporting result, there is always important planning work which starts well before the match on the field,” explained Vilberto Stocchi, Dean of the San Raffaele University of Rome. “This is why we are convinced that it is fundamental, in a country like ours, where the 'game of football' has always represented a know-how of excellence, to create highly qualified professional figures capable of responding to the needs expressed by complex football realities.  The course that our university launched in the 2018-2019 academic year, shown by the number and type of enrolments, has already contributed to filling a need in the Italian sports system. The ‘Football University’ represents a natural evolution of our course and responds to the need to also train professionals in the management area. Operators capable of guiding the change taking place in the world of football, which, from a pure entertainment sector, is increasingly turning into business-entertainment. I, therefore, thank the FIGC, and in particular, the president, Gravina, AIC and AIAC for their availability and active collaboration in the realisation of this ambitious project. 

“Investing in human capital, through a modern, complete and above all available education, is one of the guidelines on which the policy of integral development of the FIGC - said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina - and thanks to the Multiversity Group’s San Raffaele University of Rome, a highly qualified degree course on Football Governance has finally been created, which concentrates on the management of football organisations at 360°. The change to which we aspire must be governed by managers and specialised professionals, able to open themselves up to new ideas and external realities, with a dynamic and multidisciplinary approach, starting obviously from a deep knowledge of our world. Also thanks to the possibility of following lectures remotely, the organisation of sessions at the Coverciano Federal Technical Centre, more and more Casa della Formazione (Home of Training) as well as of the National Azzurri Teams, and the experience gained from the AIC and the AIAC, I am sure that this course will be very successful. Above all, there is no alternative to study and training if we want to make Italian football successful on and off the pitch. 

FOOTBALL UNIVERSITY

Three year course in the Science of Football Administration

The programme of study concentrates on the management of footballing organisations, with particular attention to strategic planning, business models, marketing, communications strategy, attractiveness and competitiveness on a national and international level. Graduates will have access to several opportunities for work, amongst them football clubs, public bodies, third sector and national and international footballing organisations. 

The new course guarantees flexibility and availability. Students, in fact, will have the possibility to easily access all study materials using the digital platform of the San Raffaele University of Rome. Furthermore, for a selected group of 100 students, the ‘formula college’ will be available.’ This didactic formula includes added lectures held by teachers-professionals from the football sector, both at national and international levels. All registered participants will also be able to take the exams at the CTF, as well as at the other examination venues in Italy.

In order to favour the participation of athlete-students and professionals already active in the sector, the University aims to actively involve the professional associations of the football world, including those of athletes and coaches, and as a sign of recognition for sporting talent at national level, the course will offer partial or full scholarships for all student-athletes who distinguish themselves for sporting merit.

For more info and registration: https://www.uniroma5.it/football-university