New FIFA regulatory framework for coaches
Coaches play a fundamental role in football. They are mentors, leaders, managers, and play a key role in the development of the game. Until now, however, this key role has not been reflected in the football regulations and on a governance level. Indeed, there are currently no specific labour regulations concerning coaches and no global body which represents coaches. This means that coaches have lacked a clear set of working conditions standards and too often they did not have a say in the discussions around the future of our game. This is about to change thanks to some new initiatives carried out by FIFA.
The FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee has endorsed a set of principles to create a new regulatory framework for football coaches, to better protect and regulate the working relationships of this professional category.
The idea is quite simple: FIFA will provide coaches - and their employers - with the same legal certainty and protection that is currently afforded to players.
More information can be found here while a more detailed look at the new regulatory framework for football coaches is taken in chapter 8 of this edition of the Journal.
In line with recognising the fundamental role of coaches, FIFA is also launching a new platform for coaches, the FIFA Coach Panel, an initiative led by the FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger.
“I will have the chance –and the responsibility- to lead this initiative and I have to say that I’m very excited. This new platform will finally provide something that I have very often wished for when I was coaching: a space for coaches from all around the world to discuss, and get involved in key matters for the development of the game. We will have annual meetings and the panel will include coaches from all regions, from different nationalities and gender, employed by both clubs and associations. I’m very much looking forward to these discussions. I’m sure it will fill a gap and enrich the global football landscape by adding the voice of a key actor of our game”.
As part of this section’s focus on coaches, we sat down for interviews with two current coaches who were both world-class footballers and are currently making their mark on the touchlines after hanging up their boots: Fabio Cannavaro and Míchel González. We talked to them about the complexity of the profession and also about how precise and psychologically clever coaches have to be with their players.
