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Juan de Dios CRESPO PÉREZ’s profile

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Juan de Dios CRESPO PÉREZ

Partner at Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo Sports Lawyers

Juan de Dios Crespo Pérez is a Spanish sports lawyer, law professor and the current President of the International Association of Football Lawyers (AIAF). A partner at Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo Sports Lawyers and Statim, he is widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading authorities on sports law, EU law and international arbitration, with particular expertise in football transfer regulations, contract disputes and player mobility.

Landmark CAS cases: Webster and Matuzalem

Juan de Dios Crespo is best known for his counsel in two seminal cases before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that reshaped the legal landscape of professional football: Webster and Matuzalem. In the 2008 Webster case, he successfully represented Scottish player Andrew Webster in his dispute with Hearts FC over contract termination and transfer eligibility. The CAS ruled that Webster could terminate his contract during the protected period by paying limited compensation (£150,000), significantly strengthening players’ rights to mobility and prompting widespread debate on the balance of power between clubs and athletes. In the 2009 Matuzalem case, Crespo represented FC Shakhtar Donetsk in proceedings concerning Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem’s unilateral breach of contract to join Real Zaragoza. The CAS awarded Shakhtar €11.9 million in compensation, a decision viewed as recalibrating the equilibrium in favour of clubs and establishing clearer parameters for breach-of-contract damages under FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

Extensive CAS experience and arbitration roles

Juan de Dios Crespo has acted as legal counsel in more than 500 proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, covering disputes in football, cycling, handball and other disciplines. He also serves as an arbitrator at CAS, Sole Judge at the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal, and arbitrator at the Football Arbitration Tribunal (TAF) of LaLiga, the European Handball Federation, the International Chamber of Commerce and several regional arbitration bodies. His dual perspective as both advocate and adjudicator has made him a trusted figure in high-stakes sports litigation.

Academic and leadership contributions

A prolific author, Juan de Dios Crespo has written or co-authored 20 books and over 150 scholarly articles on sports law. He is a regular speaker at international legal and sports business conferences. As AIAF President, he leads a global network of football lawyers dedicated to advancing legal standards, education and ethical practice in professional sport.

Excellence meets
Expertise

The combination of the best academic professors and renowned active experts in Law, Economics and Geopolitics in sports is the ideal formula for you to be in contact with professional and up-to-date reality.

The pedagogical skills of the lecturers of this program, together with their knowledge and professional profile, are key to their selection in this educational team. And they ensure you the best possible training.

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This Executive Program is NOT about packaging up information. It's about career transformation and game-changing results.

The WHY of this Executive Program is: Master the rules of the sports industry. Use them. Or change them.

It equips you with a sense of anticipation—the ability to discern what is likely to come next—enabling you to stay ahead of the curve and lead rather than follow.

The curriculum has been carefully identified and developed to cover the knowledge and skills participants need to achieve their professional goals in the sports industry.

The lecturers are not just university professors or academics but also and mainly, each one in his field, among the most respected, renowned and successful professionals in the sports industry. They practise what they teach, at the highest level, every day.

The lecturers represent all stakeholders in the sports industry which ensures you learn all sides of law, economics and geopolitics in sport, and not only the one inspired by the interests of sports governing bodies. You learn all points of view.

Hence, our aim is to provide you with the tools that will enable you to learn more objectively, to think more accurately and to act more effectively. Our final ambition is to enable you to flourish in a complex but exciting sector.

If this is what you are looking for, this Executive Program is right for you.

We think so and have designed it to be so. There are many “masters in sports law”, which usually include one economics subject or another. Some of these masters are excellent. But those that are worthwhile generally last one academic year and represent a considerable investment of time and money.

“Law, Economics and Geopolitics of Professional Sports: How to be successful, globally and locally” is a very high-quality, time and cost-effective alternative to the traditional approach: in 46 hours of curated online Lectures and 4 hours of Live Sessions, world-class lecturers and key players in the sector will highlight and summarize for you the essentials of their knowledge and expertise.

In addition, at the end of each module, they will provide you with a detailed list of the best readings and sources, which will enable you - if you wish - to delve deeper into a particular aspect of the subject.

In short, in 50 hours of curated, dense and practical Masterclasses, you will acquire a comprehensive and effective knowledge of law, economics and geopolitics applied to professional sport. At the highest level. Faster.

This Executive Program has been designed so that each participant has strong chances to reach their desired end outcome:

  • Get a job within the sports industry
  • Obtain a senior/executive level position
  • Get a salary increase
  • Manage people and projects
  • Change job function/occupation
  • Change job industry
  • Be self-employed/entrepreneur
  • Expand network

As long-time professionals in this sector, we have already gone through these challenges and know from firsthand what is necessary to succeed in them.

  1. Career Trajectory

One way this Executive Program provides a return on investment is the expansion and acceleration of your career. The program provides the hard and soft skills to be an effective contributor and leader in sports business. You’ll learn how to solve complex problems and make decisions. These skills are highly valued in leaders and can not only help you land roles with increasing responsibility but lead your team through difficult challenges.

  1. Earning Potential

Along with career acceleration comes increased earning potential. There’s an investment on your part, but the return on investment from a purely financial standpoint can be compelling. Especially in an industry that’s used to managing important amounts of money. The program sets you up to earn more than you would without it.

  1. Connections

Finally, this Executive Program provides immense value in the form of connections. It is a transformative experience. Any time you go through a transformative experience with others, it creates bonds that will last a long time. The connections you’ll make in this Executive Program, both with participants and lecturers, can lead to professional opportunities to advance your career.

So yes, if you aim to accelerate your career and become a well-connected professional in the sports industry, this Executive Program will definitely help.

If you don’t enjoy the program, you will enjoy our unconditional money-back guarantee! We are so confident that this program will transform your career that if you eventually decide that it's not for you, no hard feelings.

Here's the deal:

Participate in the first Live Session and complete the first three modules of the program. Then, If you decide it’s not for you, just let us know before starting the fourth module of the program.

We'll refund 100% of your investment.

No questions.
No conditions.

Why?
Because if you're not happy,
we are not happy.