Master in Football Law

Who is this training aimed at?

Whilst your passion for football may be a plus, the Master primarily seeks to recruit excellent law practitioners. This Master’s degree specialized in football law is aimed at Law graduates, whose aspiration is to develop their knowledge in the legal-football field. It is an excellent opportunity for young Law graduates who are looking for a solid specialization in a postgraduate degree with a high employability perspective, and for lawyers who wish to expand their professional dimension.

ITTI’s commitment, to this program, is to deliver trained and specialized professionals who will make a difference in the market, whether by acting as lawyers or by occupying command positions in the structure of the so-called Organized Football.

• Institutional foundations of football
• International federations
• Football regulation and competition law
• Employment in football
• Football Employment Contracts
• Player Status, Registration and Transfers
• Third-Party Ownership and Third-Party Influence
• Football Agents
• Female Football
• FIFA Clearing House
• FIFA TMS
• FIFA Football Tribunal and Legal Portal
• Football Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations
• Mediation, Dispute Resolution and Arbitration
• Major football events: hosting and staging football competitions
• Vertical 1: Football IP law
• Vertical 2: Football Tax Law
• Vertical 3: Football Finance Law
• Vertical 4: Football Corporate Law
• Vertical 5: Football Media Law
• Vertical 6: Football Insurance and Medical Law
• Vertical 7: Football Infrastructure
• Vertical 8: New Technologies
• Vertical 9: Criminal Football Law and Doping
• Proposed Special Master Classes / Special Speakers

Master's Methodology

Without prejudice to the necessary theoretical approach to some topics, a practical perspective will prevail with regard to teaching methodology, including the study of concrete cases and the holding of lecture discussions. Through a robust number of classes, “horizontal” knowledge of the legal landscape of football will be provided, followed by a “vertical” part focused on traditional practices (tax, intellectual property, corporate, etc.) applied to the football industry, which includes analysis of case law and relevant contracts.

Students will be prepared to actively participate to the sessions and to extract the most from the teachers. Depending on the subject, 2/3 hours of preparation work might be suitable for a given session.

Learning should not be based on memory. Understanding the cases and materials, coupled with a problem-solving attitude, will be considered a key factor to the successful completion of the Master's. Some problems involving conflict of laws or judgment calls based on the interpretation of factual circumstances simply do not entail one “right” answer. There may be good or bad reasoning, but students should never be afraid to give “wrong” answers.

Depending on the subject, students will also be provided with materials on industry trends, legislation and regulations, in addition to the cases and materials that are specific to one session.

The Master’s Degree is made up of 6 months of academic activity, which is completed with a period of between 3 and 6 months of internships and other international activities.

In particular, students will be able to carry out professional practices in the offices or legal departments of their teachers, AIAF members or other football-related organizations.

Main Objectives of the Master's Degree

• This Master's will provide you with specific knowledge and insights into the football legal field, addressing football law in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary way, under both a “horizontal” and “vertical” approach, which will allow you to adapt to the specific needs required by the practice of law before the different football organizations, whether to become a Football Law specialist or to enrich your existing practice (litigation, corporate, IP, tax, real estate, etc.) with an unrivalled Football Law expertise
• Enjoy learning with the academic body of more than 50 active professionals who carry out their careers in the most prestigious law firms and institutions
• The Master will provide a unique opportunity to connect you with a comprehensive network of relevant professional contacts
• This Master is characterized by the direct involvement of the football sector in it. As a pioneering program, it implies 100% of the teachers of the master to be ranking Law professionals actually dealing on a daily basis with Football, which in turn favours the most immediate immersion in the sector, generating unique and exclusive career opportunities. Within this context, you will also have the chance to develop professional practices in some of the most prestigious law firms in the football legal field, in club legal areas, as well as in prominent football institutions

What Will You Learn in this Master's?

• How to advise clubs, footballers, institutions, football associations, leagues, agents, brands, investors and other relevant stakeholders
• Negotiating and drafting football contracts
• Transfer and registration of players
• Doping cases
• Sponsorship contracts and exploitation of image rights
• Procedures before national and international organizations, courts and arbitration tribunals, notably the FIFA judicial bodies and the Court of Arbitration for Sports (TAS)
• Apply your day-to-day practice skills in more orthodox areas of law (tax, IP, corporate, etc.) to the specificities of the football industry

• Law firms
• Football clubs
• Public or private football institutions, associations, and federations
• Companies active in the football sector