Czech CFM seminar

The UEFA Certificate in Football Management (UEFA CFM) programme, which is helping to enhance football management skills across Europe, has reached a new part of the continent, with the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) staging its first domestic seminar.

Thirty-five participants were involved – including five from the FAČR, four from the Czech FA's daughter marketing company STES and two from regional associations, who were joined by 13 representatives from Czech clubs Sparta Praha, Slavia Praha, Dukla Praha, Graffin Vlašim, Jablonec, Viktoria Plzeň, MAS Táborsko, Sigma Olomouc and Říčany.

The inaugural UEFA CFM seminar in the Czech Republic focused on an introduction to football management, and enjoyed an international flavour with 11 guest participants from the national associations of Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine.

UEFA's CFM programme includes studies in football organisation, strategy and strategic management, operational management, marketing and sponsorship, communications, media and public relations, and event organisation. A series of six interactive online modules and three face-to-face seminars enable participants to learn skills to help them eventually move into senior roles and profit from their CFM training.

In June, the Czech Republic staged the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final round. "This is an opportunity to build immediately on the legacy of the final round, as many of you were involved," were the encouraging words of the UEFA head of national associations' development, Thierry Favre.

"Participants from the Czech Republic represent different organisations," said FAČR general secretary Rudolf Řepka, "and it is great for our football family that the UEFA certificate can be obtained by FA employees, marketing specialists, and representatives of professional and amateur football, as well as from regional or district football associations.

"I think that everyone can enrich themselves," he added, "through networking and exchanging experiences, and move both themselves and football forward, in addition to improving their knowledge of English."

The Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) at the University of Lausanne awards the certificates, while the course is prepared and conducted by renowned academics from universities in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.