The Football Business Academy and the Irish FA have entered into an agreement that will see the global leader in football business education and the governing body for football in Northern Ireland collaborate.
Through the partnership The Football Business Academy is aiming to provide a holistic learning environment for its candidates - future industry professionals - where they can acquire work experience alongside qualified professionals.
It will also help its candidates to put their business tools into practice and develop new skills that naturally come from being involved in the real challenges faced by being involved with the association.
"We are delighted to join the impressive roster of partners from across world football that The Football Business Academy has already enlisted,” said Danny Lynch, Head of Communications at the Irish FA.
“Our role at the Irish FA is to promote, foster and develop football for all, across Northern Ireland, and this strategic partnership can only help further this vision.”
The Football Business Academy is a global leader in football business education whose goal is to accelerate the professionalisation of the football industry and develop current and future leaders in the game.
Founded in 2017 and based in Switzerland, The FBA is best known for its flagship degree – the Professional Masters in Football Business – which is a 12-month programme with two intakes each year.
Lucía Estevez, Partnerships Co-ordinator at The FBA, said: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome the Irish FA into the FBA family.
“As the fourth oldest football governing body in the world, we are delighted to join forces and contribute to its long history of commitment to the development of the game throughout the country and its international presence.
“With our new partnership we look forward to collaborating on upcoming challenging projects of the association with our candidates and the whole FBA network.
“While opening its doors to new talent, the Irish FA will have the opportunity to benefit from fresh perspectives on how to innovate and develop its strategic business activities as well as other synergies and interactions that are under the umbrella of our agreement, which is aligned to find meaningful ways to expand our horizons and advance our mission.”
Other partners of The FBA include the Belgian FA, Saudi Pro League, Socios.com, Rangers FC, NWSL, SL Benfica, Mazatlán FC, Galatasaray, Common Goal, MatchWornShirt, Soccerex and Samba Digital.