In 2018 the world was captivated by Iceland’s remarkable journey to the global stage in Russia when they defied the odds to become the smallest nation to reach a FIFA World Cup™. The Iceland women’s national team have equally been a source of pride over a long period having featured in the past four editions of the UEFA Women’s EURO. Such achievements for a country of just 400,000 inhabitants emphasises that this is a nation used to making the most of finite resources. It makes the Nordic island country an ideal host for the FIFA Club Management Workshops, an initiative designed to equip club executives with essential knowledge and skills, supporting clubs in their journey toward professionalisation and operational excellence. Hosted over two days (11-12 November) in Reykjavik, FIFA launched the workshop in collaboration with the Football Association of Iceland (KSI) and the Icelandic League Association (ITF). The overarching focus was on best practices in club and league management, growing club structures, and operational planning.

The workshop is in line with FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027 and is an associated project alongside the FIFA Leagues and Clubs Professionalisation Programme. “The FIFA Club Management Workshops are a global initiative aimed at supporting the growth and professionalisation of clubs. For this session, FIFA partnered with KSI and the ITF to organise the workshops in Iceland, recognising the country’s strong potential for football development,” said Ornella D. Bellia, FIFA’s Director of Professional Football Relations & Development. “With club football at the core of the game, FIFA’s vision is to enable a larger number of clubs from every region to compete at the highest level on and off the pitch.”

The workshop offered was tailored to the specific needs and challenges of local clubs, with a highly practical approach that includes group exercises for applying theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios. Senior management from first- and second-tier men’s clubs, and first-tier women’s clubs were in attendance for presentations from FIFA consultants and representatives, including Marion Gavat, FIFA Regional Coordinator, and Álvaro Carias, FIFA Strategic Development Manager.

”Clubs are the paramount entity of the football pyramid and our collaboration with KSI on this workshop aims to give them the tools they need to continue the development and professionalism of their management,” said Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer. “At FIFA, we are confident that the efforts of the MA will play a key role in raising the standards of football in Iceland.” “It was an honour for us to host this week FIFA Club Management workshop at our FA headquarters in Iceland. I was very pleased with the number of participants and level of engagement during the sessions," added KSI President Thorvaldur Örlygsson. “We hope this event will inspire club officials to perform at an even higher level over the coming years.”