The World Football Summit Podcast

This week we deep dive into the German Football Industry and for that, we welcome today’s guest, Ben McFadyean, who is an expert on the space.

Ben and I discuss the CVC/Bundesliga deal, Euro 2024 and given that Ben is a fan of Borussia Dortmund, we analyze the club’s sports business model. Of course, we could not leave the recent deal Nike signed with the German Federation to develop the National kit untouched...

Yup, this one covers a lot of ground so make sure you stick around!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week, Christoph Winterling, Commercial & Marketing Director at Bologna F.C. joins us for a deep dive into some of the club’s business initiatives. He and I discuss:

• Engaging the local fans and how they have been able to increase average attendance from 17K to 25K.
• Their international strategy and driving growth from the international fans.
• How the club embraces innovation and involves the fan in new initiatives.
• Career advice for aspiring sports industry professionals.

Enjoy!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week, Keith Wyness, Former CEO at clubs like Aberdeen, Everton, and Aston Villa joins me for a fun conversation about the state of the English Premier League.

But that's not all as we also ask him about the most important business lessons he has learned throughout his career, and his views on the ambition of the Saudi Pro League to become a top-tier football league. Given his role as a consultant for them, I thought his opinion would be very relevant.

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

The football industry is embracing new technologies at an exponential rate. One of these groundbreaking shifts relates to the adoption of virtual technologies, which helps football properties connect with any stakeholder around the world at any time and drive operational efficiencies across the sports business.

And our guests today are experts on precisely that.

After working with top sports bodies across more than 40 events, Virtual Venue has demonstrated its ability to deliver cost savings, reduce carbon footprints, enhance event quality, and boost team productivity. Today, Sandro Batista & Vasco Pinheiro, Managing Partners at the firm, join us for today’s episode.

We discuss a bunch of things, including, the product, the use cases, and what they have learned from working with top-notch clients.

Enjoy!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week, the guys from FIFPRO are back, and this time, for a deep dive into the dynamics in the Asian football industry.

FIFPRO, as you probably know is the global trade union, representing the voice of around 66.000 professional footballers and their national unions to ensure they are heard at the international level.

Our guests are Takuya Yamazaki (FIFPRO Asia/Oceania Chair) and Brett Taylor (Head of Research and Policy at the Professional Footballers Association of Australia).

The three of us have an interesting conversation that covers the report they have published analyzing the impact of the changes in the Asian Champions League on players and clubs.

We look at it from different angles including performance, the commercial angle, or even travel logistics.

Enjoy!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

Today, we welcome another amazing female leader in football to the show. Aisha Nazia, who is involved with the World Freestyle Football Association, is also an advocate for “technology for a purpose” and was a speaker during WFS Asia.

This was a great conversation about the application of different technologies in sport, how the football industry compares to other industries about tech implementation, frameworks, the role technology can play in driving positive change through sport, advice for female leaders…

And so much more!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

It seems everything related to the world of web3 is ready to make a comeback and we wanted to understand where the space is heading.

This is why we are thrilled to welcome a true expert in the field to the show today. Pet Berisha, the man behind the Sporting Crypto newsletter and the Sporting Crypto Podcast is our guest on the show.

During the conversation, we discuss:

• The current state of web3 in sports, what went wrong in 2022, and what needs to be true for it to be a reality that truly changes football.
• We also cover examples of how the best sports brands are working with web3 including Nike or Manchester United.

Enjoy!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week we welcome one of the best sports business broadcasters in the game, Ben Jacobs, for a wide-ranging conversation that covers:

• The Saudi Pro League and its ambition to become a top-tier football league.
• MLS valuations, “soccer” becoming an important element of culture in America, and the need to develop a strong inner league for sustained success
• An in-depth look at the European football industry… The EPL, broadcasting rights, Manchester United, the Superleague..

This one has it all...Enjoy!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

Steven Mandis, author of books like "The Real Madrid Way," or "What Happened to Serie A?" is our guest today.

He is also a Senior Academic Advisor to FIFA, he is helping UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport in America. Overall, he is a true football business expert.

This was a fun one as we discussed a bunch of things, including:

• The main lessons he learned while writing his books.
• What the football industry can learn from American sports.
• Current dynamics like multi-club ownership, the possible Superleague, broadcasting, the live experience at a match, where he sees the future of football.
• We also talked about his role at the UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport

And much more!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

Today, Alexander Bielefeld, Director Global Policy & Strategic Relations at FIFPRO, is our guest on the show.

FIFPRO, as you probably know is the global trade union, representing the voice of around 66.000 professional footballers and their national unions to ensure they are heard at the international level.

Alex and I discuss a bunch of things, including:

• The player workload situation and the risk that playing the current amount of games has for the player’s health and even the business side of football.
• How that risk could grow further with new competitions, changes in formats of major tournaments, etc.
• We discuss some surprising findings from the Player Safety Report FIFPRO has published.
• And of course, we also discuss innovation and technology and how data can empower the player going forward.

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week, we deep-dive into the Deloitte Money League Report, approaching leadership transitions and the need for innovation within football clubs.

And more!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week, we review some topics that are impacting the football industry and things to look out for in 2024, including:

• The importance of “brand” in football and brand valuations using the example of Manchester United.

• The impact of “load management” in driving revenues and FIFPro’s player safety report.

• The importance of live experiences at stadiums going forward in the sports business model, and why the top teams in the world are investing in revamping their stadium.

And more!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

Are you one of those folks in the industry wondering what is behind Saudi Arabia’s push toward becoming a leading global football hub?

This week, we travel back to WFS Asia, which took place in December 2023 to find out, thanks to an amazing panel that included the participation of:

• Carlo Nohra - Chief Operating Officer at the Roshn Saudi League
• Mohammed Awlia - Ministry of Sports
• Romeo Jozak - Saudi Arabian Future Falcons
• Omar Al Hakim - Serie A
• Andy Jackson - Footballco

And you will listen to them speak about:

• The role that bringing superstar players must play on and off the pitch.
• The impact that a robust football league has beyond sport, specifically in culture and socio-economic development.
• The ambitions from each angle towards the 2034 World Cup (the Pro League, Youth Football, The public institutions).

And so much more!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

One of the best things about WFS events is listening to the leaders and organizations pushing the industry forward. At WFS Asia we had the awesome opportunity to listen to how Serie A is approaching their international strategy, and we thought that this is a panel you would enjoy…a lot!

The panel included the participation of:

• Alfonso de Stefano - Serie A MENA Managing Director
• Michele Ciccarese - Serie A Marketing & Commercial Director
• Clarence Seedorf - Football legend and Serie A Ambassador

And you will listen to them speak about:

• Their 3 pillars to foster international growth: Tech, Culture, and Fan engagement.
• The role of content and adapting the global approach to each local market.
• How they are adapting to new trends and fan behaviors.

And so much more!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

We have a fun episode aligned for you to finish off the year, as we welcome Kasper Kronenberg, Editor in Chief and Co-Founder at Off the Pitch, one of the best football business intelligence services and databases in the world.

If you are into “club valuations” around the world (including Europe, the MLS, Saudi Arabia, Women’s Football…) and topics related to governance, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

But that’s not all! We also talk about the origins of the business, entrepreneurship, and lessons Kasper has learned throughout his career…this one has it all!

Next year will be a busy one with WFS events in London, Mexico, and Sevilla…check it out on our website!

Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter, where every week we send updates, trends, and everything that goes on at our events. Find the link in the show notes.

Enjoy!

World Football Summit: The football we want, and need.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week, Natalie Bowles, Member Services Manager at the League Managers Association, and Kristian Dobrev, Deputy CEO at the Football Business Academy join us on the show to talk about developing a career in the sports industry, leadership, how to stay on top of current trends, the value of a good education…

If you are an “aspiring” sports business professional, this is a conversation for you.

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

If you are a follower of the podcast or simply interested in the football industry, I am pretty sure you have asked yourself about which are the markets with the greatest potential for football…right?

On today’s show, we are going to try and answer that question thanks to our friends from LTT Sports. We have just launched in collaboration with them a detailed report that looks into a group of markets to assess where most of the growth will come from. And just a little spoiler, it seems it would not be from Europe!

Today is the first of a series of conversations we will have over the next couple of months about this topic and on today’s show, Konstantin Kornakov & Fathi Abou El Gadaiel (former speaker at WFS Africa) join me to discuss the main findings of the report, trends and we discuss 3 specific markets. I was tempted to tell you which ones they were, but I think it’s best you listen to the episode!

This week, we welcome another amazing female leader in football to the show as I get to sit down with Ashlee-Fontes Comber, Owner & CEO of the Tallahassee Reckoning.

Ashlee and I had a fantastic conversation about what it has been like to build the football team, what makes it unique, their business model, and more.

She also shares some great advice for female leaders in football and her views on the current state of Women’s Football.

This is a great conversation for those of you out there interested in the women's game!

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

This week, we welcome Preeti Shetty, another amazing female leader in football, for an awesome conversation about her different roles:

- CEO of Upshot.

- Director at Brentford FC.

- She is involved with Ready, a platform aimed at educating women in the industry with new technologies.

- Entrepreneur after launching "Valeur" with another remarkable female leader in football: Arianna Criscione.

Preeti and I talked about her different roles, entrepreneurship, what went wrong in web3, leadership advice for female leaders, and the importance of using data to create a positive social impact...

This episode has it all! It is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

This week we welcome Oli Perkins, Market Lead at VEO Technologies to the show. Veo’s AI-powered solution helps football clubs record, analyze, and live stream games

Our conversation covers, in addition to the value that VEO brings to the industry:

• Performance on the pitch, where we talk about how their mission-led approach has enabled them to work with Kevin de Bruyne, Lewes FC, and many more organizations.
• Sports marketing, and how VEO helps generate content at scale and even drive greater commercial revenue for lower-tier clubs.
• The lessons from seeing such amazing growth in the business, which can be valuable to any of you growing your own venture.

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

I hope you agree that getting a high-quality education is key for any sports business professional.

This is why I was so excited to welcome this week’s two guests to the show: Vicente Valero, Campus Director at the European Sports Business School, and Borja Eroles, Operations Coordinator at Valencia CF.

And the reason I was looking forward to this conversation is precisely the combination of having someone from the ESBS academic team and one of their alumni, who is actually developing his career in the football industry.

And that’s really what the conversation is about:

• What are the pillars of a good educational program?
• How is that then applied to the reality of a football club?
• What skills do the sports industry leaders of tomorrow need to have?

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

This week, we welcome two top-tier guests to the show. Alexander Jobst, CEO at Fortuna Düsseldorf, and Christophe Jehan, Deputy CEO at Targobank join us to discuss in-depth the fantastic “Fortuna for All” Initiative.

In case you don’t about this groundbreaking project, the essence of it is that over the next 5 years, Fortuna Düsseldorf will play 3 home games per season where fans can enjoy the match in the stadium completely free!

This a “never-seen-before” type of project in football…and as a matter of fact, the club won the WFS Best Branding Initiative Award presented by Summa Branding during World Football Summit Europe 2023!

As I said, the three of us discussed the initiative in detail, including what triggered the idea, how was the decision process was like, the key success factors, and how they plan to evolve it in the future.

Then, we transition into a conversation about the sponsorship and partnerships landscape before finishing off with some leadership and career advice for sports industry professionals.

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

Today, Rayde is back on the show for another masterclass on the state of the industry. We talk about:

• The role of sports content today, in the aftermath of the launch of David Beckham’s documentary
• The potential and the valuations of MLS and NWSL teams and how brands can capitalize on that momentum.
• What football can learn from the major American leagues
• Before closing off with trends and dynamics he sees in the industry.

This, as is always the case with Rayde, was tremendously fun! You will not want to miss this episode!

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

Multi-club ownership is one of the most transformative forces in the industry.

So this week, we bring you a fantastic panel from WFS Europe on multi-club ownership with Jordan Gardner (Twenty-First Group), Jeff Luhnow (Blue Crow Sports Group), Shawn Doss (Elevate Sports Ventures), and Nic Coward (Portas Consulting), where they discuss:

• The benefits and challenges of the multi-club ownership model.

• The key success factors that need to be considered and the importance of showing the proof of concept.

• The regions with the highest potential for the football industry.

Ultimately, the goal of the panel was to demonstrate if the model has more benefits than risks.

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

This week, you are invited to a masterclass on creating a digital sports publisher with Steve Calzada, Co-founder and Creative Director at Post United.

Post United is the number 1 football digital publisher in Spain, and they are taking the concept of providing information and entertainment around football to another level. The business was founded in 2019 and since then, they have had spectacular levels of growth, even challenging the traditional sports media outlets in Spain.

Steve and I talk about the sports content landscape, the value of involving creators in the business, competing in such a fierce industry, and more.

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

Tony Mamodaly, Head of International Operations at TSG Hoffenheim is our guest on the show this week, in what is a true masterclass in international strategy and business frameworks.

Tony and I discuss:

• How TSG Hoffenheim approaches its international strategy and what makes it unique
• We talk about different levers of their strategy: Partnerships, the academy, technology, trends, and key success factors.
• We talk about leadership and career advice for upcoming industry professionals.

This episode is brought to you by Juan Valdez, which is a 100% premium Colombian coffee brand.

Today, we welcome Dr. Vicki G. Ross, another remarkable female leader in football to the show. Dr. Ross is the president of UNAFUT, the organism that manages the 1st division in Costa Rica, and, to my knowledge, she is the only woman leading a top-tier men's football league…in the world!

But Dr. Ross is much more than that, she is a fellow at the Central America Leadership Initiative, a previous board member and president of several non-profit organizations, she has a background in media and broadcasting…

I believe you are in for a treat as Dr. Ross and I discussed:

• Her role at UNAFUT including her business priorities, how she repositioned the brand, the challenges she has had to overcome, and of course, the opportunities ahead
• We also have an in-depth discussion about female leadership in football full of advice for those women looking to develop their careers in the industry.

Remember you can also subscribe to our newsletter where we share trends, dynamics, analysis, and everything that goes on at our events! Find the link in the show notes.

And now, enjoy this conversation with Dr. Vicki Ross

World Football Summit is where the football industry meets.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

This week, we have a couple of amazing guests who will speak about two topics we are passionate about: Football (Soccer) & Sustainability.

Lu Barnes, captain at NWSL club OL Reign, and Santiago Gallo, Associate General Manager of the team, join the show to give a true demonstration of what embracing sustainability is truly about.

During the conversation, we talked about:

• How sustainability is at the core of the values of OL Reign and how they “live” those values.
• How it drives its partnership strategy and the overall relationship with the community of stakeholders.
• We also talk about leadership and setting an example for others to follow and become a “sustainable-driven” athlete or club

This was an inspiring conversation and I hope that one of the things you learn from it is that the key to starting any initiative is to believe in your mission and, go after it! Even if things are not perfect at the beginning...

Enjoy!

World Football Summit is where the football industry meets.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

In previous episodes, we talked about how the traditional sports business model is outdated. Broadcasting rights will not increase forever, commercial partnerships are looking into maximizing the ROI of every penny they invest, and matchday revenue has its limits because of capacity constraints.

In addition, there is always the lingering topic of monetizing the international fan.

How do you solve this?

Technology can definitely help and our two guests today, Robert Rice, Founder & CEO at Transmira & Founder & Michal Glijer CEO at Zetly, are gonna open our eyes to new possibilities.

Both organizations are focused on bringing Digital Twin Technology and the Metaverse to the world of football. During the conversation, we talk about:

• How these technologies help create new sources of revenue through fan engagement, and stadium revenues.
• Actual examples of how they are being used across the sports industry.
• How to approach digital transformation and change management.
• And, given they are entrepreneurs who started embracing these technologies since long ago, we had to ask about entrepreneurship, career, and overall leadership advice.

This was a blast and I got a whole new understanding of digital twin technology. Hopefully, you will as well!

Remember, WFS Europe is approaching (September 20-21), and we're excited to announce that both Robert and Mike will go into full detail on the WFS stage!

Today, we welcome Arianna Criscione back to the show. I wanted to do so ever since our first conversation a few months back and I could not have asked for a better time to do so (we actually recorded this after the FIFA Women's World Cup Final between Spain & England)

This time around Arianna & I talked about the state of women’s football, analyzed opportunities going forward, and challenges that still need to be addressed.

This includes growing the sport sustainably, how investors are starting to realize the potential of women’s football, salaries, prize money, broadcasting, fan engagement…pretty much all the levers of the sports business model that will unlock new levels of growth.

If you are interested in women’s football, this is an episode you cannot miss!

Enjoy

World Football Summit is where the football industry meets.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

Thomas Rypens, Direct-to-Consumer Director at Club Brugge, is our guest on the show this week. Club Brugge is one of those clubs that are looking for new ways to grow revenues through technological innovation, and today you are in for a true masterclass on the mindset that is needed to embrace innovation within a football property

Thomas and I discussed:

• The countless initiatives they are testing and putting in place to improve the fan experience. Some examples include cashback initiatives, their decision to remove the ticketing offices at the stadium, becoming a cashless stadium and yes, we also discuss the role of AI.
• The process of going from data collection to insights to action plans.
• We close the conversation by talking about leadership, change management, and embracing innovation from every angle of the organization.

This episode is full of frameworks and ideas, and my guess is that you can learn from it as much as I did while recording it!

In today's episode, we're thrilled to feature yet another remarkable female leader in football, Erika Montemor. Head of Player Status at FIFA.

Are you ready to be inspired?

Our conversation covers:

• Her personal journey and her battle against cancer
• Her advice for aspiring female leaders in football and embracing risks
• Her role at FIFA and what it is like to work at one of the most important sports organizations.
• Erika is also a fantastic mentor, and she shares advice you will not want to miss!

This was a conversation I was really looking forward to, and boy did it deliver!

Remember WFS Europe takes place in Sevilla on September 20-21. Will you join us?

We've launched a special ticket for female leaders in sports, offering access to exclusive workshops with industry leaders, unique discounts, and more! If you're ready to take the next step in your sports industry career, don't miss this opportunity!

This week we welcome Gavin Smith, Head of Data Analytics at Orlando Pirates to the show. I have been looking forward to this conversation with Gavin for several months, ever since he participated in an awesome panel during WFS Africa.

And the wait was well worth it. With Gavin, we speak about:

• The role that Data Science plays at Orlando Pirates.
• The frameworks and models that Gavin has developed for himself to perform his role more effectively.
• The future of data analytics in football, including the role of emotional intelligence in player performance.

This was so much fun and hope you also enjoy it!

Remember, WFS Europe is approaching (September 20-21). Don't miss out on the opportunity to help shape the future of football!

Today, we welcome Tony Cherchi to the show. Tony is currently part of the team that works on broadcasting the MLS on Apple TV, so this is an amazing opportunity for you to learn some of the details behind that groundbreaking deal.

That's not all, Tony has more than 20 years of experience hosting TV shows covering live games, and interviewing the best of what sports have to offer, so the amount of knowledge he brings to the table is off the charts.

Tony and I discussed:

• His decision to join the Apple TV project with Major League Soccer, what it's like to be in the team, and the potential he sees for the MLS.

• We discuss the current trends and the future of sports journalism.

• Tony was also kind enough to share career advice and even anecdotes from his interviews with legends, Kaká, Thierry Henry, Javier Zanetti…or even the legend himself! Pelé.

This episode will not leave you indifferent...make sure you stick around!

Today, we welcome Daniel Geey to the show for a great overview of the sports law landscape in the football industry as well as a masterclass on building a successful career in the sports industry. His career as a sports lawyer includes club takeovers, high-profile transfers, commercial endorsement deals and disputes. He is also an author, and we get to talk about his new book, Build the Invisible and we explore the legal implications of key topics, including:

• The new FIFA agent regulations and their impact on the overall industry.
• The process and lessons learned from writing his books, Done Deal and Build the Invisible.
• Advice for those looking to enter and grow in the football industry.
• His experience at industry events like World Football Summit and how they help people grow and develop in the football industry

This conversation has a little of everything!

Leander Monbaliu, Partner & Chief Business Officer at LaSource, joins the show to discuss broadcasting, digital transformation, and startups!

Lasource works with high-profile startups, tech companies, and sports and media organisations to accelerate growth across the sports industry. Leander also has amazing experience in organizations such as the Belgian Pro League so the degree of expertise he brought to the table was fantastic.

In the episode, we talk about

• The evolving media landscape, and how sports properties can balance between traditional broadcasting methods and emerging platforms.
• We talk in-depth about digital transformation and how it can help evolve the traditional sports business model.
• We identify the traits of the best sports entrepreneurs.
• We close it out with leadership advice and the value of the WFS Awards, for which you can still apply!

Don't miss it!

And remember WFS Europe is approaching (September 20-21), and we're excited to announce that Leander will be joining us!

Jordan Gardner returns to the podcast, ready to deep dive into some of the industry's most trending topics:

• Unpacking the influence of players joining the Saudi Pro League
• The implications of Saudi's PIF privatization strategy on the global football landscape
• Analyzing the current valuations of MLS franchises, including whether or not they will be sustainable.
• Assessing the ripple effects that Messi's signing for Inter Miami will bring to MLS.
• Pondering over the replicability of the Wrexham model across Europe

This was a fantastic review of the global football industry!

Our guest today is David Diaz, Partner at Baker McKenzie and Head of Sport. With his extensive knowledge of sports law, David provides invaluable insights into some of the most pressing issues impacting the football industry.

In our conversation, we explore the legal implications of key topics, including:

• The new FIFA agent regulations and their potential challenges within the EU legal frameworks.
• The evolving landscape of multi-club ownership models.
• The legal and governance considerations of empowering fans in club decision-making processes.
• The potential clash between new competition proposals and the EU legal framework.
• His personal leadership advice and highlights the cases he's most proud of.

Have you ever wondered what's happening in the 98% of a football match when players aren't actually touching the ball? It's a fascinating thought, right? Considering what we typically focus on is that mere 2% of on-ball action!

Well, you're in for a treat today. Today we welcome Paul Neilson, General Manager at SkillCorner, to the show and he's going to blow your mind about this very topic.

SkillCorner has been doing some pretty incredible stuff in the football industry, making a name for themselves with their data-centric approach. And in this episode, Paul's going to share how they do it, including:

• How SkillCorner helps football clubs and other sports bodies make sense of their data to enable effective decision-making.
• Valuable learnings from their experiences with top-tier clubs globally, including the framework that best clubs from LaLiga, The Premier League, etc. use to analyze data.
• A sneak peek into what the future looks like for SkillCorner, especially after dipping their toes in the NBA and NFL waters.
• And of course, Paul's going to talk about the journey that brought him here and the qualities he thinks the most successful analysts possess.

The amount of data that could be analyzed during a match is incredible, but more so when understanding that the advantage comes from scaling those analytic capabilities.

Finally, remember WFS Europe is quickly approaching (September 20-21), and we're excited to announce that Paul will be joining us! Moreover, SkillCorner is part of the family of industry partners who will help us make the event a reality. After this engaging conversation, we're buzzing to see what's in store for Sevilla!

This week, we bring you a panel I was lucky enough to moderate between Milos Nenadovic (LaLiga) and Juan Antón de Salas (Villarreal FC) during Football Innovation Forum where we explore how football clubs can boost stadium revenues in a highly competitive entertainment landscape. Key points of discussion include: 1. The role of unique stadium experiences in capturing non-traditional sports fans. 2. Attracting wider audiences: How are Villarreal CF and LaLiga doing so? 3. Maintaining stadium relevance in the digital era. 4. Optimizing return on stadium investments through service diversification. 5. Use data and KPIs to measure the success of new stadium initiatives.

Today we welcome Carlo de Marchis to the show, in what was a super fun conversation about innovation in sports. What I liked most about this one is the number of topics that Carlo is knowledgeable about including:

• The intriguing world of Generative AI and how it's changing the game in sports.
• A deep-dive into sports innovation, touching base on fascinating initiatives like the Kings League, Wrexham, the groundbreaking MLS / Apple deal, and the ever-evolving eSports scene.
• An insightful analysis of how fan behavior is shaping broadcasting trends.
• To wrap it all up, Carlo imparts invaluable leadership advice and identifies key skills for the sports industry's future trailblazers.

Honestly, this was a true “sports innovation” masterclass!

Today we welcome Nicole Allison, a prime example of a female leader driving change in women’s football. With an amazing career that spans across consulting, media, notable roles at Tottenham Hotspur, the English Football League, and now, as the proud owner of Worcester City Women FC, Nicole truly embodies the spirit of the game.

In our conversation, we talk about:

1️⃣ The intriguing evolution of women's football and Nicole's strong belief in investing at the grassroots level to unlock the next level of growth.

2️⃣ Her inspiring journey to Worcester City, and the club's mission to create an impact that transcends beyond football.

3️⃣ The trials and triumphs of owning a football club.

4️⃣ And lastly, Nicole imparts invaluable leadership wisdom, a must-hear for women aspiring to leave their mark in this industry.

By the way, Nicole has saved the date for WFS Europe, taking place in Sevilla on September 20-21. Will you join us?

We've launched a special ticket for female leaders in sports, offering access to exclusive workshops with industry leaders, unique discounts, and more! If you're ready to take the next step in your sports industry career, don't miss this opportunity!

We're thrilled to have Timm Jäger, CEO of EintrachtTech at Eintracht Frankfurt, join us on the show. This is a club that has made innovation a core part of its identity and has been recognized with several awards, including "The German Innovation Award," a place in the "Top 100 most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany," and the "WFS Award for Best Digital Transformation Initiative" in Sevilla last year.

During our conversation, Timm shares valuable insights into the innovative strategies that have made Eintracht Frankfurt a leader in the industry, including:

• The club's journey to becoming an innovative organization and the challenges they faced along the way.
• An overview of the different initiatives they're currently working on, and the important role fans play in driving innovation.
• The keys to leading innovation at a football club and how to create a culture that supports it.

You'll be amazed to see how Eintracht Frankfurt has transformed into much more than a football club.

In today's episode, we're thrilled to feature yet another inspiring female leader in football, Agustina de Giovanni. As the Director of Mental Performance and Culture at MLS Club DC United, Agustina is a mental performance coach specializing in football/soccer. Our conversation covers:

• The importance of mental training in optimizing performance
• Mindsets, frameworks, and techniques to effectively incorporate mental training into the overall training regime
• Agustina's unique method and her work with athletes and teams
• Valuable advice for aspiring female leaders in the industry

By the way, Agustina is confirmed to speak at WFS Europe, taking place in Sevilla on September 20-21. Will you join us?

We've launched a special ticket for female leaders in sports, offering access to exclusive workshops with industry leaders, unique discounts, and more! If you're ready to take the next step in your sports industry career, don't miss this opportunity!

Have you ever wondered what leading innovation initiatives at a “smaller” club is like?

Javier Jiménez Sacristán is the guest on our show today and at the time of this recording, he was the Innovation Director at SD Ponferradina, a club from the Spanish second division.

The conversation with him covers four main topics:

1. Innovation and the role of technology at a football club
2. His approach to developing the commercial strategy
3. The evolution in technology, profit, and commercial strategy among football properties
4. Leadership & overall lessons from Javier's career.

What I like most about this conversation is that being innovative is about “mindset”…and not age. Enjoy!

World Football Summit is where the football industry meets.

This podcast is for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer) industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are driving change in the sports business industry all over the world.

You can learn more about us on:

We have a very special guest for you today and probably someone who needs no introduction. César Azpilicueta, captain at Chelsea FC and founder of the eSports team, Falcons, joins us for an awesome episode!

This was a conversation I was really looking forward to because I wanted to get to know César not as a footballer, but as a person, a leader, and a businessman. I hope you are ready for a masterclass on building a personal brand around values and how César delivers against those values across his multiple projects and initiatives. We discussed:

• The framework César uses to decide how he gets involved in different projects.
• We talk in detail about his eSports team, Falcons, including their remarkable levels of growth, their social media strategy, and the way they approach commercial partnerships.
• We also talk about the eSports category and why other footballers are interested in the space.
• Finally, César shares priceless lessons on leadership both on and off the pitch.

I had high expectations for this interview and I was pleasantly surprised but how much fun and how much I learned from speaking with César. I honestly hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did!

Paul Dreisbach, founder of Petrichor and former speaker of WFS Africa, is our guest on this week's episode

Petrichor develops youth football programs in Cameroon, and in partnership with La Liga, it operates the largest girls’ youth league in Cameroon.

Paul is an advocate of sports for social change and during the conversation we discuss

• The origins and the “why” behind Petrichor.
• What they have learned from their partnership with LaLiga
• His thoughts on how the Women’s game should evolve in the future

Toward the end, we have a thoughtful conversation on leadership and entrepreneurship. Paul is a great example of how anybody can use sport to make the world a better place, and hopefully, his story will inspire you to do so!

Today, we welcome two guests from Deportivo de A Coruña to the show as Carlos Cantó, Board Member at the Club, and Massimo Benassi, who is their Chief Business Development Officer, join us to share how are they trying to professionalize the club and take their commercial strategy to another level. Now, this is an interesting case because Deportivo is a club with a strong legacy and a powerful brand in the Spanish market, but they are currently competing in the 3rd division.

The three of us cover a bunch of topics, including:

• The pillars behind the Deportivo A Coruña brand and the amazing success of some of their marketing & sponsorship initiatives
• How they are approaching their commercial & partnership strategy
• Or even, how a club in their situation tackles international growth

At the end of the day, the foundations of football are made up of many properties that are not competing at the elite level, which is why we believe this is a conversation that could be of great value.

By the way, both Carlos & Massimo will be at WFS Europe. Will you?

You can now buy your ticket for World Football Summit, which returns to Sevilla on September 20-21. The biggest football industry event is already on the horizon so if you want to join the leaders that will shape the future of football, this is your opportunity