Germany hosts second CFM edition

The opportunity to learn and enhance professional skills, not only aiding personal career progress but also providing important benefits for European football management as a whole, is a key objective of UEFA's Certificate in Football Management (UEFA CFM) programme.

The programme is taking place throughout Europe, with staff members from national associations and other football stakeholders coming together to learn and exchange ideas about various facets of football and its management. The participants all graduate with new skills that will stand them in good stead as they move into senior posts along their professional path within the game.

The German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund – DFB) is the latest association to kick off another edition of the UEFA CFM which, over nine months in six interactive online modules and three face-to-face seminars, includes studies in football organisation, strategy and strategic management, operational management, marketing and sponsorship, communications, media and public relations and event management.

Thirty-five participants are involved in this second DFB edition – they comprise 23 from the DFB and its associated media and marketing, sales and licensing wings, as well as nine from Germany's regional associations. The international feel of the programme shows in France and Northern Ireland having sent two participants each, while eight members of UEFA's staff are also engaged in this edition of the programme.

As the programme returned to the DFB main offices in Frankfurt, former participant Manuel Hartmann from the DFB match operations department held the local presentation included in the seminar. "It is a good feeling to see that more colleagues have the possibility to take part in the UEFA CFM and to build up their skills," he said. "While these colleagues talk about the programme, I start to reflect again about the things I learned during the CFM and remember to use more parts of it in my daily work."

As a participant in this second German edition, representing the Bavarian Football Association (BFV), Jürgen Igelspacher, BFV general secretary, commented on what he believes he will gain through the programme: "New theoretical input should complement my practical experience – or even better, should confirm the things I did in recent years. I always like to question myself and want to make things better. With this programme I get to know international standards and the way of working of other associations."