Historic day for Argentinian player union's Pro Diploma for Sports Managers

• Graduates from across South America celebrated a landmark moment at the graduation ceremony for the Pro Diploma for Sports Directors, organised by Futbolistas Argentinos Agremiados (FAA).
• Both the diploma and the Pro Licence have official recognition and, from 2026, will be mandatory for anyone wishing to hold a sports director position at clubs competing in Argentina’s Primera Division and Primera Nacional.
• The ceremony was led by Sergio Marchi, President of FIFPRO and Secretary General of FAA, alongside Claudio Tapia, President of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

Futbolistas Argentinos Agremiados (FAA) experienced a historic evening on 10 December with the graduation of the first cohort of sports directors to complete the diploma programme. The course was developed by the players’ union in partnership with the AFA and the National University of Tres de Febrero.

Graduates received a university diploma in Sports Management as well as the Pro Licence, which formally qualifies them to work as sports directors.

Under an agreement signed between FAA and the AFA in June, the Pro Licence will become compulsory from 2026 for clubs in the Professional League and Primera Nacional, Argentina’s second division. From 2027, the requirement will also apply to the Women’s Professional First Division and other promoted categories in men’s football.

"Sometimes you have ideas, but if you don’t turn them into reality, they remain just dreams," said Sergio Marchi as he opened his address to students and football executives.

"In 2020, we realised we needed to work on something beyond coaching or traditional sports management. That’s when the idea of this diploma was born. We created it with passion and hope, to help footballers and former footballers who often ask themselves, ‘What can I do next?’ but don’t know where to start. We began spreading the project by word of mouth, presenting it as a pathway to gain knowledge and a professional tool to enter the football industry."

Launched in 2021, the diploma programme has already trained more than 300 current and former players from Argentina and other South American countries.

The ceremony was also attended by AFA President Claudio Tapia; Jose Pablo Burtovoy, Executive Director of the diploma programme; and other FAA officials. Former Argentina international and Inter Milan player Nicolas Burdisso joined the event via video link from Italy in his role as Academic Director of the programme.