ZURICH: UEFA, the apex governing of European football, has named its new scholarship programme after its ex-President Lennart Johansson of Sweden. Johannson was at the helm at UEFA from 1990-2007.
The aim of the ‘Lennart Johansson Scholarships for Football Leaders’ is to develop the talents of people with the potential to play a leadership role in football in the future.
Scholarships are available to participants in two UEFA education programmes: The Executive Master in Sport Governance (MESGO) and the UEFA Executive Master for International Players (MIP).
MESGO is an exclusive programme for sports sector professionals who wish to strengthen their strategic thinking in the evolving world of global sports governance, while the MIP is a tailor-made programme aiming to give former players the tools to lay the foundations for successful football administration and management careers when they hang up their boots.
11 participants in the fifth edition of MESGO – from UEFA member associations, football clubs and European institutions – are being supported in their studies through the scholarships, and will be attending this month’s second session of the fifth edition in western Switzerland. Studies at the session will focus on the governance of sports organisations.
The management board for the scholarships comprises one representative each from the Lennart Johansson Foundation and Centre de Droit et d’Economie du Sport (CDES) – the lead academic partner delivering both the MESGO and MIP programmes – and three representatives of UEFA or UEFA member associations.
Lennart Johansson is the board’s honorary president, and UEFA handles the administration of both the board and the scholarships. An annual budget covers the board’s operating costs and the scholarships themselves.
To apply for a scholarship, candidates must have applied for a place on the MESGO or MIP programmes and fulfil the admission criteria. MESGO candidates must, among others, have a minimum five years’ experience in a relevant field and at managerial level.
Only candidates from sports organisations connected to football – national associations, clubs, leagues, players’ unions or any other UEFA stakeholders – can apply for scholarships, although scholarships may be awarded to candidates involved in another type of organisation if the candidature has a particular relevance to the programme.
MIP scholarship candidates must include on their CV a career in football as a player, coach or referee at international level, as well as at least one selection in the senior national team, or several seasons as a player for a European top-division club with at least one appearance in a UEFA senior club competition.
The MIP hopefuls can also have been the main coach of a senior national team, or have spent several seasons as a coach for a European top-division club with at least one game in a UEFA senior club competition. Referees are not left out either. Any referee with at least one game as a referee in a UEFA senior club or national team competition under his/her belt can apply for a MIP place.
The board examines and decides upon all scholarship applications from MESGO candidates, considering criteria such as the candidate’s ability to play a leadership role in the future, and the position of the candidate within an organisation. For MIP candidates, their current professional activity and their profile are key application factors.
“The launch of the Lennart Johansson scholarships gives me tremendous pleasure,” Johannson said.
“Education and support to football leaders is of utmost importance for the future of football.”
