The Professional Football Department manages a variety of programmes aimed at promoting the professionalisation of the game all around the world. The department provides tailor-made support to member associations, their leagues and clubs, assisting with strategic planning, competition organisation, formats, governance structures, commercial aspects, media rights and communication. The projects are developed on request, usually in collaboration with FIFA’s Member Associations Division, responding in an advisory capacity to a specific need presented by a member association and/or the respective league organiser. Over the last few years, FIFA’s Professional Football Department has carried out a number of professionalisation projects in several countries, including: • Botswana: business and strategic plan for forming a self-managed league; • Mozambique: analysis of league sustainability and alternative competition formats; • Nepal: analysis of the top-tier competition and assistance with the league’s professionalisation; • China PR: guidance on the league structure and the club licensing system; • Dominican Republic: strategic advice on the potential establishment of a league; • New Zealand: bespoke assistance on the competition calendar; • Peru: strategic planning for a new professional league to be organised by the member association; • India: assistance with league structuring; and • Panama: assistance with the professionalisation of the league’s operations and commercialisation.
