- 12. June - 28. July 2023
Advanced Certificate Program in
Sporting Directorship
Learn how to structure teams for impact, a resilient sporting strategy, enhance the value of sporting assets and comprehend financials.

Master the strategies you need to advance
Advanced Certificate Program in Sporting Directorship aims to teach critical skills
needed to compete in changing football business environments, where
leadership, innovation and experimentation are the keys to success.
Next-level knowledge
Equip yourself with the skillset that will be your competitive advantage
Learn from top professionals
Connect to profs who apply their expertise in elite football
Fits in your busy schedule
100% online - complete with your peers or at your own pace - up to you
What you'll learn
By the end of this program, you'll be able to:
- Manage difficult situations better with internal and external communication.
- Make an impact on yourself -before your teams.
- Identify the needs of your club to build the right departments fulfilled with the right staff.
- Identify opportunities to optimize your club’s sporting assets -particularly in the academy.
- Create a resilient sporting strategy, and ways to lead it effectively.
- Improve your club’s value proposition and competitive positioning in the recruitment phase.
- Understand and apply the financials wisely.













Les Reed started as a three-month consultancy role at the Southampton FC the third-tier club in 2010 turned into an eight-year stay at St Mary’s; during his time the Club had a tremendous sporting growth.
In this program, Les Reed will teach building and establishing a resilient sporting strategy.
Start making progress
- 13. June - 28. July 2023
- 7-week fast-paced program
- Build a network of like-minded professionals
- 17x Dynamic Live Lectures from top professionals
- Q&A Sessions with the lecturers
- Case studies, articles and insight stories
- Webinars with industry leaders
- Weekly live cohort meetings
- Learn anytime, anywhere - 100% online
- Complete at your own pace (optional)
- The certificate is included
950€
This program is for..
This program will give a fresh vision for understanding the technical dimensions of running a football club.And, you will learn effective ways to manage your teams within your responsibilities.

Scouts/Chief Scouts
• Develop unique practical skills.
• Design the winning strategy.

Technical/Sporting Directors
• Sharpen your skills in new ways.
• Leverage strategy in your work.

Club Executives
• Transform your organisation.
• Get better players for a better team.

(Ex) Footballers
• Level up your skill-set.
• Take a step into a management career.
Student Success Story
How FOCUS programs helped Matt to advance his career
We’re proud to see our Foundations of Sporting Directors Course graduate Matt Johnson promoted to a new role as a Head of Recruitment for a Women’s Team at Portsmouth FC.

“The network, skills and workflow insight gained on the FOCUS Foundations of Sporting Directors Course has allowed me to obtain as role as a Head of Recruitment for a Women’s team.
Understanding how to build a successful recruitment team, create an effective workflow and work effectively as a small market club are all key learnings I will be taking into my new role.
I will continue to use the resources available on the FOCUS platform from the course to support me in this role and am in contact with members of my cohort regularly.“
Browse learning plan
This is an 8-week fast-paced program. Each module consists of weekly live lectures, case studies and discussion assignments on the community, insight stories, and articles.

13. June at 17:00 CET
Live Lecture 1: Effective communication internally and externally.
13. June at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 2: Self-awareness and understanding its impact on leadership.
15. June at 17:00 CET
Live Lecture 3: Building departments to build a high-performance environment within a club.
15. June at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 4: Selection and recruitment of performance, analytics/data, academy, and science and medicine departments.
> Lecturer: Anna Edwards & Dave Slemen, Elite Performance Partners

20. June at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 5: Innovation in the academy infrastructure.
> Lecturer: Gareth Jennings, Former Head of Technical Leadership at FIFA
22. June at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 6: Innovation in the academy staff.
> Lecturer: Gareth Jennings, Former Head of Technical Leadership at FIFA
27. June at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 7: Positioning youth players in the 1st team’s squad planning.
> Lecturer: Tommy Wilson, Director of Academy and Professional Development at Philadelphia Union
28. June at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 8: Assessing and positioning youth players as a seller club.
> Lecturer: Tommy Wilson, Director of Academy and Professional Development at Philadelphia Union
29. June at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 9: Player Development Pathways
> Lecturer: Ben Knapper, Loan Manager at Arsenal FC

04. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 10: Forming a Club’s sporting strategy.
06. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 11: Implementing a club’s sporting strategy.
11. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 12: Leading a club’s sporting strategy.
13. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 13: Creating a recruitment structure that wins on and off the pitch.
> Lecturer: Les Reed, Former Vice-Chairman of Southampton FC

18. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 14: Essentials of budget management. (1)
20. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 15: Essentials of budget management. (2)
25. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 16: Essentials of Financial Fair Play
27. July at 19:00 CET
Live Lecture 17: Wage Models and wage distribution
> Lecturer: Jordan Gardner, Consultant at Twenty First Group
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Stay inspired with an expansive library of learning content
As a member, you get access to numerous learning content focused on the biggest trends and challenges in today’s sports world both on and off the pitch.
Meet your lecturers
Your esteemed lecturers are change-makers in the football industry who are committed toempowering you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in your professional journey.

Les Reed
Former Vice Chairman of Southampton FC

Ben Knapper
Arsenal FC

Gareth Jennings
UAE League

Tommy Wilson

Anna Edwards

Dave Slemen

Jordan Gardner
Hear from our members

"Great educational program. From the organisation to the speakers, everything is of great value.
The learning spectrum is wide, from communication and management to financial administration.
I would recommend this to anyone in the football business."

“The Foundations of Sporting Directorship Course offers a solid introduction to the role of the sporting director with a specific emphasis on talent identification and recruitment. The combination of live sessions and a series of e-learning modules allows for flexibility and self-paced learning. This course is a good starting point for those curious about the role with a pathway to progress to the Advanced Certificate Program in Sporting Directorship for those that want to continue learning.“

"The Focus Advanced Sporting Directorship program provided a unique learning experience for sports industry professionals, and the community created by the course is one of its most valuable assets.
This first cohort fostered a collaborative and supportive learning environment that allowed us to challenge ourselves and each other, share insights and best practices, and collaborate on projects and assignments.
The connections and relationships formed during the program will continue to benefit me both personally and professionally for years to come, making this program an excellent investment for anyone looking to enhance their career in the sports industry."

"The Advanced Certificate Program in Sporting Directorship was a hugely valuable experience.
The course provided the opportunity to be exposed to valuable lived insight experiences from leading experts and professionals in elite level leadership in football management, technical leadership, and football club governance.
The course is engaging, incredibly relatable, and thought provoking that challenges you to reflect on your own context of workings.
I highly recommend this course to any individual who wants to continue to grow their understanding of sporting directorship in a football context."
Be part of a community of collaborators
You’ll join a cohort of ambitious, generous professionals who will help you grow.

Learn with like-minded professionals..
























Learn the technical dimensions of the running of a football club.
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