Started by identifying the knowledge and skills needed for participants to achieve their professional goals in the sports industry.
Then, they designed and developed the most direct curriculum and teaching materials to convey this knowledge and these skills.
Finally, they handpicked the most renowned academic professors and specialized leading experts with a proven track record of driving innovation and delivering effective results.
Presentation of the program, lecturers, methodology, learning objectives, supporting material and set up for success.
Introduction to the legal, economic and geopolitical framework of professional sports and its latest developments.
Answers to your questions and personalised support.
What is "sport"? And "professional sport"? Where and when did professional sport begin?
Key figures and economic concepts to understand the global impact and realities of professional sport.
Are major sporting events guided solely by the best interests of sport and its social role, or are they a political phenomenon?
Does "sports law" really exist? Are Sports Governing Bodies’ regulations real law? Is sport a private matter or an area partly controlled by the States? Can forced arbitration before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) be considered real justice?
The intrinsically multidisciplinary nature of professional sport, illustrated through the evolution of professional football from its origins to the present day, from the first professional leagues to the European Super League, and the role of players’ trade unions in their fight for collective bargaining.
What is “peculiar” about the economics of professional sports?
How important are sports in/for the economy? Macroeconomic significance of the sports industry. Economic size of various sports clubs and leagues worldwide.
How do mega sports events impact the economy of the host country? The effects of large events on local economies. Tourism and trade effects of mega-events. Is this a good way to spend public funds?
Why does the economics of EU football differ from US major leagues? The economic and regulatory structure used to achieve competitive balance and financial stability in the four major North American professional sport leagues and football in Europe.
Women sport competitions: an economic tiger in the making? Paralympics sports competitions: Is it (also) a business?
Economic sustainability of US Major leagues, European football, and individual and smaller team sports. Why football clubs are not very profitable. Why this is less problematic than most observers think.
Where does the funding come from? Owner types. The Football Balance Sheet: What is an asset? What is a liability? What is equity? Golden Rule of balance sheet.
The Football Income Statement: Revenue. Costs. Profit (or loss). The Football Cash Flow Statement.
How to assess the financial performance and position of a football club using trend and ratio analysis?
How much is a football club worth? Valuation overview and problems. Valuing club or shares? Accounting balance sheet. Book versus market value. Net presentation. Enterprise value to equity value. Trading versus Transaction Comparables. Assessment of multiples approach. Final agreed price.
Buying registrations. Amortisation. Contract extensions. Impairment. Obligations v options to buy. Academy profit centres. Player sales. Profit v cash flow. Imputed interest. Invoice discounting.
Breakeven models. Wage caps. Owner funding. Creative accounting: Related party transactions, 'Friendly' party transactions, acceleration/deceleration of transactions, manipulation of impairment.
Setting the scene and building an understanding of sport and geopolitical economy, using Trump’s Independence Day, Russia’s gas pipeline politics and English Premier League football as illustrations.
How globalisation, digitalisation and environmentalism have reshaped the world and their pervasive influence on the reordering of sport.
How a pivot from Global North to Global South arose, and how it has led to the emergence of a multipolar world of sport in which establishing and sustaining competitive advantage is of paramount importance.
How states across the world are engaged in the pursuit of power in and through sport, with specific reference made to the pursuit of legitimacy, soft power, diplomacy and nation branding.
With specific reference to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, an examination of how geographic, political and economic factors shape their engagement with sport.
With specific reference to Morocco and Rwanda, an examination of how geographic, political and economic factors shape their engagement with sport.
With specific reference to basketball, soccer and the Olympics, an examination of how geographic, political and economic factors shape its engagement with sport.
Examining the means through which to successfully navigate the complexities and sensitivities of sport today.
The fundamental freedoms. General principles of EU Law. Article 267 TFUE. Why EU law is also relevant to you even if you are not "EU".
The Walrave judgement. The Dona Mantero judgement.
The Bosman judgement. The Meca-Medina judgement.
Example of comercial cases. Examples of regulatory cases. The FIA case: at the crossroad between commercial and regulatory cases.
What is the common ground among these three landmark CJEU cases?
What are the specific aspects of each judgement?
A new "Bosman". Or even more?
A revolution regarding dispute resolution.
A remaining core issue: who can control the "International Match Calendar" and how?
To what extent can sports regulators regulate the commercial activities of third parties?
The ECHR judgement in Mutu Pechstein. The ECHR judgement in Semenya. Other ECHR judgements on sports related issues.
The European Commission. The National Competition Authorities. The preliminary questions to the CJEU: from the national judge to the European High Court. Practical advice.
An EU "Court of Arbitration for Sport" (or just "for football"?). The new UEFA authorisation rules are still illegal. The new FIFA draft RSTP is still illegal. Towards a complete separation between the regulatory function and the commercial activities of sports federations. Collective Bargaining Agreements will be a "must".
A discussion of the application of antitrust and labor laws.
The function of salary caps, player drafts and contract restrictions.
Collective bargaining v. Antitrust.
Mechanics of negotiations.
Title IX Protections and Prohibitions.
In the US, football (soccer), particularly Major League Soccer (MLS), has developed its own specificities, inherited from the traditional American sports model: league structure (centralized ownership vs. independent clubs), closed system (parity vs. meritocracy), financial rules of governance (salary caps vs. financial fair play), and calendar. What global football can (or should) take from it?
Size and growth of sports in the U.S. Competitive balance, revenue sharing, salary caps, player salaries, profitability, free agency, player entry drafts, territorial rights, free riding by teams on the league’s brand. Examples.
Teams, brand sponsorships, athlete endorsements. Methods of valuation: market, income, asset-based. Growth in team revenues, income, valuations. Examples.
Ticketing (face value, variable pricing, dynamic pricing, monopoly control of ticket distribution). Changes in the media landscape (linear to digital, streaming, bundles). Economic drivers of media value. Economic theory of sponsorship. Size of the market and growth. Risks and mitigation in sponsorship. More details on the valuation of sponsorships. Examples.
This is one form of the distribution of the product. Cost of facilities. Sources and methods of financing: private and public sources. Examples.
Monopoly leagues. Sanctioning bodies. Competition across sports. Barriers to entry. Anticompetitive actions and Procompetitive justifications. Collective bargaining.
Size and growth. Where the money comes from and goes. College athletes going from amateurs to professionals. Name, image, and likeness payments to athletes.
Historical and geopolitical background. Introduction to the very liberal regulatory framework governing associations in Switzerland. A very liberal law of the obligations: contractual freedom as a corner stone ("Pacta sunt servanda"). Direct Influence on some regulations of sports federations (RSTP: article 17,1).
Key “Ein-Platz” principle. Example, scope, effects.
Autonomy of sporting association (and its limits) in Switzerland. Distinction between the sporting rule stricto sensu (no state competence), the pure state rule (no sporting competence) and the sporting rule lato sensu (grey zone). No sporting exception in Switzerland. Presentation of some court decisions that contributed to develop sports law in Switzerland.
General principles, mandate, labour law.
State courts vs arbitration system, presentation of the Swiss “arbitration friendly” approach. Grounds for appeal to the Swiss Federal Court against international arbitral awards, according to the Swiss Private International Law Act, in particular notion of Swiss public policy. Procedural aspects. Examples of Swiss Federal Court decisions.
When the US Department of Justice applies criminal Law to FIFA. When the CJEU applies EU Law to FIFA. A special look at the CEHR Semenya judgement and to the CJEU RFC Seraing judgement: how could it effect the Swiss Federal Court control on sports related arbitration awards?
Basketball’s governance is shaped by NBA dominance and a FIBA–EuroLeague “cold war,” now challenged by the NBA–FIBA plan for a semi-closed European league that could transform the sport and test EU competition law.
How did the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) acquire and does retain monopoly and monopsony power over Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in a complex political, legal, regulatory, and financial context?
Professional road cycling is still organised today according to rules that have their roots in the origins of the sport. But big changes are afoot.
Padel participation worldwide has exploded, with Qatar’s state-backed investment reshaping its professional scene.
Rugby’s economy is dominated by federations and national teams but faces growing club power, exemplified by France’s booming TOP 14, setting the stage for fierce battles between clubs and federations where EU law and the Super League ruling may play a decisive role.
Global Champions League (GCL) and the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) v. Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).
European handball clubs, long excluded from governance, gained influence through the Forum Club Handball’s cooperation with the EHF, while tensions with the IHF now culminate in a rare contested presidential election that could reshape the sport’s leadership.
The PTPA, founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, has launched legal actions in the US, UK, and EU accusing tennis’ governing bodies of anti-competitive practices that suppress earnings, restrict player freedom, and harm welfare, potentially leading to major structural changes or settlement.
The concept of public state law. A bit of history. Professional and amateur sport. Is state intervention in sport necessary? When and why? Initial reflections.
Examples and points of view.
Liberal. Interventionist. Third way. No clear distinction. Connected to the issues of autonomy, hierarchy, pyramid structure, "ordre public" (e.g., EU competition law), /non/influence and input from the stakeholders at the bottom (players, etc.).
Although contractual relations are private, State intervention is both necessary and present at the national and international levels, particularly through EU law, which significantly affects global sport.
Doping (state interventions pro doping and against doping. Athletes' approach. Spectators' response). Security at sporting events. Matchfixing. Actions on the field (outside of reach of criminal law) and around the field (within criminal law reach).
Within stadia. Outside the stadia. How to treat violence before and after the game "provoked" by the game – part of "sports law" or just a sociological phenomenon?
Major sporting events as an exemption. What are the major sporting events? De facto applies to a limited number of sports – should the other be promoted as well?
Notion. Why are they collected? How can they be used and misused? Consent of the individuals, necessity, or a legitimate interest? Can sports governing bodies abuse their monopoly position?
Applicability of only general rules or also specific rules for sport associations? Are sports governing bodies regulated at all beyond the general rules on associations – different states' approaches, consequences of state policy towards sport. Judicial review of sports governing bodies' decisions.
No global administrative law. Seat of the international sporting federations – primarily Swiss law. Relationship with national sports governing bodies. International "ordre public". General principles may be applied as a requirement: transparency, accountability, independence, no conflict of interest, impartiality.
Are the relevant national laws and the FIFA rules compatible?
The way forward: the "European Social Dialogue" based on article 155 TFUE and on the ALBANY judgement.
Review of a real football player contract. Essential elements. Crazy clauses.
Maternity protections in the FIFA RSTP. Adoption leave. Family leave. Pregnancy test. Wage payment during pregnancy. Post partum plan. What has been achieved. Still to come.
The new reality after "DIARRA" and "SERAING".
The material rules. The procedural rules. The FIFA "Transfer Matching System" (TMS). Homologation of contracts and qualification of players. Follow-up to DIARRA ruling.
A free business activity under EU law or a business subject to national laws and football federations rules?
The legal framework. The activity in application of the national and international legislative and regulatory system.
Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Football League (NFL).
Review of a real representation agreement between a sports agent and a player.
A multi-tasking job. Practical data and information. Career management assistance and advice. Personal experience.
Is a sportwomen/sportmen lawyer more than a lawyer? Sports’ lawyers in the world of agents.
Contract law, labor law, intellectual property law. What else?
Agent's contract, licencing contract, sponsorship agreements.
How to be a lawyer in the complex entourage of an athlete?
From the original “UEFA Financial Fair Play rules” to the current “UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations”.
Special focus on England and the implementation of the statutory financial regulator of football — one of the most interesting developments in global sports law, with a number of features that are relevant for other jurisdictions.
Are cost control mechanisms justified from an economic perspective? What are the main numbers?
Why can cost control regulations infringe competition law? The way out: the CJEU judgement in ALBANY.
What do EU law and recent CJEU rulings tell us about disciplinary procedures in sports organisations?
The disciplinary power of sports organisations.
Separation of powers. Separation of investigating and adjudicating functions. Independence and impartiality of disciplinary bodies.
Public hearing. Presumption of innocence. Written procedure. Production of evidence.
Racism. Enforcement of decisions. Match manipulation. Transparency.
Review of procedural rules of sports federations.
WADA's structure and governance. What is WADA's mission? The substance of the World Anti-Doping Code rules.
What to keep in mind.
Arbitration mechanism and legal framework.
Arbitration - as applied to sport - has a number of very distinctive features. It is a dispute settlement method that operates away from the usual canons of traditional arbitration.
With few exceptions that prove the rule, international and national sports federations impose arbitration on all those over whom they manage to exercise a certain degree of regulatory control.
On what grounds can a state judge set aside an arbitral award?
Why are these two rulings game changers with regard to compulsory arbitration in sport?
Organisational and procedural functioning of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): what you have to know before defending a client before the CAS.
The Webster case. The Matuzalem case. The CJEU response in its landmark Diarra judgement. The CAS “homemade” standard of proof.
Has CAS a total monopoly on sport arbitration at international level?
RFC Seraing and Semenya have been “game changers”. Does it mean that everything is now perfect regarding “forced arbitration and sport”?
An introduction to the various collective redress schemes available for claimants in Europe.
An overview of the possible collective actions in the area of sports in Europe and comparison with precedents in the U.S.
The role of litigation funders in collective actions and how they interact with claimants, lawyers and other players.
Federations and associations. Leagues. Clubs. Players and athletes. Others.
Implications of the European Super League (ESL) judgement by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
Overview of how taxation operates within the football ecosystem. Tax planning and tax compliance.
Sponsorships, naming rights, image rights, merchandising.
The financial value of audiovisual rights, their sales packages, and the applicable legal framework.
Sports becoming a coveted asset class. Sports a high-growth sector undergoing rapid transformation. European football is the world's most followed professional sport. Football is a platform for future growth and value creation.
Fundamentally different landscapes in terms of structure, culture and economics. Leading to notably diverse valuations.
Why is Private Equity entering the sector? The growing number of M&A transactions driven by new institutional investors. What impact is private equity having?
Ways to approach investing in sports: Equity vs. Debt transactions. Direct vs. Indirect investments. Case Studies.
Key factors in determining the appropriate strategy. Three of the unique strategies from European Football with case studies.
Definition, role, and types.
Insurance contracts, parties, and constituent elements.
Specific features of sporting activities and specific coverage.
Coverage of extra-contractual civil liability of organizers (clubs, federations, etc.), with regard to third parties, property insurance (stadium, equipment, etc.), medical expenses and income insurance.
Insurance against accidents at work, legal defense, transfer value insurance and group insurance.
Governance models and strategic management in professional football.
Case Study: What Makes German Clubs Unique?
Core revenue streams: matchday, media rights, sponsorships and parterships, merchandising and player transfers. Emerging models.
Case Study: Rethinking Revenue – Why Clubs Need Innovation.
Squad development, youth academies & sustainable sports planning.
Case Study: Turning Regional Strength into Sustainable Performance.
Brand management, fan engagement, media relations, sponsorship activation.
Case Study: The True Power of a Football Brand.
Managing fans, local community, regulators & institutional partners.
Case Study: Embedding Participation in Club Strategy.
Fortuna for Everyone.
Case Study: Redefining the Football Club through a Socially Driven Business Model.
Mastering the process: how to design, submit, and win competitive bids for major sporting events.
Building a robust organisational model that aligns all key stakeholders behind a unified vision.
Navigating the layers of local, regional, and national governance to ensure coordination and compliance.
Protecting event integrity and commercial value by anticipating and countering unauthorised marketing activities.
What sporting, economic, governance, and sociological concerns motivated several top football clubs to engage in the European Super League (ESL) project? Is the European Super League (ESL) project just about rich clubs willing to become richer?
What are the most likely political, economic, and legal developments in the overall landscape of European football over the next few years? What are the essential measures that need to be adopted to achieve a “workable” balance between the competing interests of the various stakeholders?
Is it possible to achieve a fair balance between domestic leagues and European Club Competitions taking into account National Teams?
Do the main stakeholders have different visions? Is it legally, economically, and politically possible to find a balance between their diverging interests?
Learn directly from elite international athletes as they explain how law, economics, and geopolitics have influenced their careers, and how professionals like you can add real value to athletes at the highest level.
The autonomy of sports. Global attempts to constrain that autonomy. EU as a sports regulator.
Why should the EU regulate sports? What can be done? How can it be done?
Formulating a European vision of sport based on existing EU law and policy.
Talking substance: what measures can the EU take to promote good governance, social responsibility, human rights, and athlete welfare in sports? How would the rules be enforced? And what about the “Brussels Effect”?
Debrief of key topics.
Examples and feedback of important concepts.
Answers to your questions and personalised support.
Debrief of key topics.
Examples and feedback of important concepts.
Answers to your questions and personalised support.
Debrief of key topics.
Examples and feedback of important concepts.
Answers to your questions and personalised support.
What are the next big things in sports law and economy.
A few tips to make your own mark in the sports industry.
A player and his club;
A player and his agent;
A player and his main sponsor;
A club and its sponsors;
A sports organisation and a participant to its competition;
A sports organisation and an athlete participating in its competition.
Sports Law Firms;
Job Portals, Recruitment Agencies and Headhunters in the Sports Industry.
Sports Law Associations;
Sports Law Journals, Reviews & Research Centers;
Sports Economics Associations;
Sports Economics Journals, Reviews & Research Centers;
Sports, Politics, Geopolitics & Sociology Resources.
