UEFA Diploma in Football Leadership and Management (UEFA DFLM)
The UEFA DFLM is an advanced programme enabling high-performing managers in charge of teams that deliver complex projects to further develop their leadership and managerial skills.
Programme overview
This unique programme focuses on project management in four key areas: conceptualisation, planning and presentation, negotiation as well as leadership. The UEFA DFLM has been designed to strengthen and refine the soft and hard skills needed to succeed in an influential role in European Football. Moreover, participants work alongside expert coaches on individually selected projects that are of strategic importance for their organisations.
The 12-month programme starts in October 2020 and contains a mixture of e-learning through four online modules as well as three face-to-face seminars to ensure an accessible and interactive learning experience for all participants all with the aim of developing the participants’ skills and knowledge in management and leadership.
Quick view
Faq
- Who Managers in leading positions at football organisations
- When October 2020
- How long 12 months
- Where Switzerland
- Price €8,500
- Number of participants 20
- Academic certification Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) in Football Leadership and Management , 30 ECTS credits (for previous UEFA CFM graduates) Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Football Leadership, 10 ECTS credits (if no UEFA CFM)
- Applications Applications currently open
Important dates
- 01 Mar 2021 Applications open
- 28 May 2021 Applications close
- 01 Oct 2021 Programme starts
Takeaways
- Developed a strategic project for their own organisation that can be implemented
- Attained key skills in order to facilitate complex, strategic project implementation within their organisation
- Improved their soft skills in relation to leadership and complex negotiation
- Developed their capacity to present with impact
- Expanded their network, by gaining contacts in football organisations across Europe
IS THIS PROGRAMME
SUITED FOR YOU?

Diana Pirciu
28, Romania
RFF Education Manager
Diana has graduated with Magna cum Laude from Mcneese State University, where she studied Communications and Sports Marketing. For the Master Studies, she has chosen Educational Psychology at University of Bucharest where she focused on studies about people’s motivations. She graduated Certificate of Football Management in 2016, and she believes live long learning is mandatory in this fast moving world where she wants to have an impact on domains such as sports education, strategy development and talent development.
Skills
- athlete mindset
- hard-working and determined
- leadership
Looking for
- networking with fellows from the football industry
- inspiration, ideas and best practices on football management

Farai Hallam
27, English
National Referee Manager, The English Football Association
Farai is a student of the UEFA DFLM. His involvement in football has been since a young age, when he started playing football which eventually led to playing three years of professional football in both England and Spain. Following this, he turned to refereeing and a career in football development with the national association. He has engaged with UEFA academic programmes to increase his understanding of the business within football, how to manage and deliver projects more effectively, as well as overall personal development within a professional environment.
Skills
- In-depth knowledge and passion for football at both professional and grassroots levels
- An understanding of many areas of football, ranging from refereeing, to disability football, to the social impact
- Professional conduct and strong work ethic
Looking for
- An engaging programme, that allows for two-way learning and not just lecture style delivery.
- An academic programme that challenges you, to think differently and self-assess many aspects of what you currently do and why
- An enjoyable programme, that celebrates good work and personal development
Roadmap
This first module of the programme helps participants define the characteristics of a good project and design their own projects within a given strategic context. Participants will be introduced to key management tools including the business model canvas and the strategy diamond which are essential for the development of their projects throughout the programme, they will also learn how to situate their projects within their respective national associations.

Location: UEFA Headquarters, Nyon
Length: one and a half days
The first seminar taking place will provide the first opportunity for the participants to meet their fellow peers and project coaches in person. Practical and interactive sessions will help participants develop their project idea as well as enhance their soft and team work skills. The participants will work together in their coaching groups to present their projects and receive feedback to better formulate the scope and concept of their projects.

This module will help participants in the process of writing a good project plan (structure, content and style) assess resources and understand the basic principles of project management. Participants will learn how to take their project from the business model canvas to then write and structure an effective business plan for their projects. A key aspect of any business plan is presenting it, this module will also cover the importance of an elevator pitch and the tools needed to create their own.

The negotiation module has been split into two submodules, with the first submodule becoming available before the second face-to-face seminar. This submodule provides participants with the core basics of negotiations as well as the different types of negotiations they may have to undertake with their projects. It goes to explain and provide the necessary tools of how participants can claim value during negotiations with different stakeholders.

Location: IDHEAP, University of Lausanne
Length: one day and a half
The second face-to-face seminar is focused around improving the project presentations skills of the participants. There will be sessions where the participants have to carry out elevator pitches and presentations under time constraints to their coaches and peers with the aim of improving how they can present their projects to stakeholders as well as receiving feedback for improvement. A negotiation session will be carried out in which participants will have to put into practice what they have learnt on the online module. Moreover, they will continue to work with their coaching groups in order to develop and enhance their projects.

The second submodule on negotiation focuses on the key concepts including how participants can now create value during negotiations. Furthermore, it shows participants the importance of understanding how emotion and power come into play during negotiations while also going into detail on understanding the dynamics, roles and how to bring out the best in team negotiations.

This last module of the programme will help participants manage themselves (through awareness, reflexion and action) while also better understanding the role influence and safe dialogue plays in leadership. They will learn the key components and different styles of leadership while self-reflecting on different aspects and tools which could help them become leaders. Moreover, this module will also cover the importance of leadership in project management.

Location: Sierre, Switzerland
Length: two days including the graduation ceremony
The last face-to-face seminar of the programme will focus around the final presentations in which the participants will need to present their developed projects in front of a jury which is also a key part of the final grade for the programme. A negotiation activity will also take place in teams where participants will have to work together while implementing what they have learnt along the programme to negotiate a scenario against other teams. The seminar will also provide the final feedback within their coaching groups and help them prepare for the next steps with their project implementation within their organisation.

A graduation ceremony will take place in the final evening of the third face-to-face seminar for the participants who have successfully completed the programme.

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