Marco Floreale – Head of the Sport Law Division at Wollens outlines why it is important in the legal sporting world to align yourself with the right partners for the right reasons as ultimately it is for the benefit of your clients to have access to all the best tools in your bag so they can be the best on the pitch.
For this reason, we are proud to be aligning ourselves with Johan Cruyff Institute who like us share the passion of educating the next generation of leaders in the sports business, whether that be an athlete, a player or a sporting organisation/club.
Johan Cruyff Institute values very much mirror ours as the mission of both parties is based on common sense, pragmatism, intuition and optimism. Education in sport is vital for not just the current crop of athletes but also the next generation and beyond, so that history does not repeat itself with so many top athletes being either bankrupt, unemployed, struggling with mental health, homeless or addicted to either drink, drugs or gambling.
Our aim with Johan Cruyff Institute is to offer to our clients the option of studying whilst still pursuing their playing career so when that day comes when they have to hang up their boots, they have a qualification that is applicable and relevant to what they want to do post their sporting career.
It is easy to forget sometimes that elite sport people effectively retire twice, once from their playing career and then again when they have re-invented themselves and worked till the normal retirement age of 65.
Being an elite sports person takes its toll in different ways to us mere mortals as invariably they have been around a professional sporting environment from the age of 8 and until they stop playing – potentially then in their mid 30s (depending on their sport) This means that they naturally become institutionalised and caught up in that sporting world and maybe overlook that when retirement from the game takes effect they have not got anything to fall back on. That is when the spiralling begins, and the trouble starts.
This was and is to some degree still a problem which is why aligning ourselves with an institute that has sport at its heart as a passion that drives education is why we want to help the next generation of leaders in sport management and stop the issues highlighted above. It is a start and another string to our clients bow which should help them post career.
The courses available range from on campus and blended programs in the Netherlands, Spain, Mexico and Peru to online programs that offer the possibility of studying in any place at any time through a virtual campus. Athletes can study Sport Management to Sport Marketing and Sponsorship to Coaching to courses that specialise in the Football Business.
Our clients will able to study for a Master’s Degree, Postgraduate Diplomas in Football Business or a specialised diploma online and we believe that this forms part of our duty when representing an elite sports person whether they are 18 or 38 because at the end of the day it is never too old to learn. The author should know as he is undertaking the Training Course on the FIFA Football Agent Exam online!
Johan Cruyff, the founder, is quoted as saying “In my opinion, athletes possess remarkable qualities. They are committed, eager to improve and goal-oriented. With these traits and the right academic training, our athletes become successful leaders in the world of Sports Management. Who better to serve the best interests of sport than someone who has the heart of an athlete?”
We 100% agree with this and look forward to changing the landscape and improving the lives of elite sport people that we not only represent but follow as fans.
Marco Floreale – Head of Sports Law
Contact : [email protected]
Call : 01803 396639
Legal Services For Professional Sportsmen And Sportswomen (wollens.co.uk)
