The Training Course for Football Sporting Directors is organised by the University of Salento’s Department of Legal Sciences and accredited by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). Successful completion qualifies participants to take the FIGC examination for admission to the Special Register of Sporting Directors. The initiative is also supported by the Italian Association of Sporting Directors.
The course develops the planning and operational skills required to work in professional football club management, with a particular focus on the sporting director’s role. It integrates technical, organisational, legal, economic and communication expertise, providing an overview of how a club operates and the responsibilities involved in directing its sporting department.
Course structure
It comprises 165 hours of teaching, including 36 hours of workshops, across five subject areas:
- Technical: coaching decisions, developing young players, scouting, physical preparation and assessing players and matches.
- Management and organisation: club structures, sports management, team and coaching-staff management, youth academies and the team manager’s role.
- Legal and regulatory: football governance, sporting director regulations, employment, player registration and transfers, agents, licensing, financial oversight, FIGC regulations (NOIF) and national and international sports justice.
- Economics: football-club financial statements and the economics and finances of football.
- Communication and marketing: sports communication and marketing principles applied to football.
Teaching is provided by university professors and experienced football professionals, including sporting directors, coaches, executives, lawyers and other specialists. Combining lectures and practical workshops, the course applies knowledge to situations such as player and match assessment, transfer management, compensation and awards, and the analysis of club accounts.
Delivery
The course uses a blended format, combining in-person lessons at the University of Salento with distance learning. Campus sessions are recorded and may also be followed live online or watched later. Completion requires attendance at at least 80% of the scheduled hours, except where justified reasons apply.
Entry requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Candidates with a five-year upper-secondary school diploma may also be eligible if they have documented experience in sport, subject to the rules in the call for applications for each edition.
Coordination and teaching team
Luigi Melica is scientific coordinator. The teaching team consists of University of Salento academics and external experts from professional football’s technical, management, organisational, economic, communication and regulatory fields.
Information and documents
The official course page publishes the academic regulations and programme, the call for applications, deadlines, admission notices and any extensions.