Javier Tebas brings curtain down on Diploma in Technical Management of Football Clubs

LaLiga chief Javier Tebas was invited to give the closing presentation to mark the end of the second edition of the Diploma in Technical Management of Football Clubs, a course jointly organised by the SD Eibar Foundation and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), which was delivered in its entirety within the Ipurua training classrooms. At this event, held in the Ipurua presidential box, the Eibar president, Amaia Gorostiza, offered her thanks to the UPV for their involvement in the project, whilst also thanking Tebas for his attendance at the ceremony.

Gorostiza noted, "Within our modest facilities, we're the only LaLiga club to offer a university-level diploma within our stadium. Despite being LaLiga's smallest club according to many quantitative criteria, we can lay claim to offering added value in areas like transparency, financial solvency, competitiveness, innovation, etc".

For his part, Tebas thanked the club for enabling us to be able to talk of "another footballing model" and used the opportunity to explain the decisions adopted by his institution "which are taken to ensure that, within the constant crossroads at which it finds itself, LaLiga is always improving".

The LaLiga president stressed the value of the division's "small" teams, like SD Eibar, pointing out that, "They help to make our product a good one". Tebas added that, "What Eibar is selling each weekend when they take to the pitch are heroic achievements". In addition, the LaLiga chief advocated ethical behaviour and transparency in the running of the game. "Within the football industry it's important to uphold values, tell the truth and be completely transparent".

Tebas later delivered a talk to the students enrolled on the course, which was jointly run by the SD Eibar Foundation and the UPV. The course was comprised of eight modules run throughout the season, which included content relating to all of the areas within a professional football club, featuring training sessions, the football management department, the youth set-up, the medical and sports nutrition side of things, management, communication, finance and sports law.

Eibar is the only LaLiga club to deliver a university diploma within its own stadium.

Throughout its second edition, and right through to this closing ceremony overseen by Tebas, the Diploma in Technical Management of Football Clubs has seen leading figures from within the game lead the sessions. The opening class was delivered by the Spanish national team coach, Julen Lopetegui, whilst staff from Eibar, including Fran Garagarza and Jose Luis Mendilibar imparted their knowledge in other sessions. Meanwhile, other Basque clubs, such as Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, and top professionals from academic and corporate institutions were also responsible for teaching on the course.