Course structure

This course provides a sound understanding of finance and accounting within the context of the football industry.

Built upon the expertise of professionals, the 12-module course progresses from the fundamental principles of accounting, to cover topics including: financing, taxation, UEFA Financial Fair Play, and more.

You are able to consume the content on demand, ensuring you are able to fit the learning around your existing schedule, repeating chapters you may want to review again and assessing the learning objectives, allowing you to gain Continuous Professional Development accreditation.

As well as completing the course in it's entirety, you can now break the content down into four sections in a pay as you go format:

  1. Fundamental principles (modules 1-3)
  2. Intermediary principles (modules 4-6)
  3. Advanced principles (modules 7-9)
  4. Professional principles (modules 10-12)

Please see the corresponding module titles and descriptions below.

Course modules

If you have no knowledge of accounting or the double entry system, this module will help you understand the basics in a football context.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the difference between debits and credits
  • Describe the impact debits and credits have on different types of accounts
  • Identify types of accounts using football examples
  • Describe how debits and credits generate a profit or loss
  • Define the accounting reference date
  • Use the understanding of the accounting reference date to explain the accruals concept
  • Explain the how the accounting equation is used to present a football club balance sheet
  • Describe the accounting treatment of a football player acquisition.

Providing an overview of football finance including revenues, costs, player trading and football regulation to build upon in the rest of the course.

Learning objectives

  • Understand how a football club can become profitable
  • Describe the three main revenue streams of a football club and how clubs can increase those revenue streams
  • Summarise what a player represents to a football club in a financial context
  • Illustrate an understanding of the accounting treatment of a player registration
  • Explain the different types of agent fees paid to agents
  • Describe how image rights payments are made to remunerate players
  • Explain the financial regulatory landscape of a football club.

Finding and understanding financial information is avital skill to acquire for any finance professional. This module shows you how.

Learning objectives

  • Identify reliable sources of financial information of football clubs
  • Locate financial information through club websites and Companies House
  • Describe the contents of financial statements
  • Summarise the contents of the narrated sections of the financial statements
  • Explain the presentation primary financial statements
  • Describe how the accounting equation interacts with the balance sheet
  • Interpret the information in the income statement, balance sheet and statement of cashflows in a football context.

Information provided to management is not the same as that provided to the general public. This module explores management information.

Learning objectives

  • Compare management and financial information using football examples to evidence your understanding in a football context
  • Explain the structural differences between management and financial information
  • Summarise the budget process of a football club
  • Describe the budget process for the income statement, cash flows, capital expenditure and balance sheets using football examples
  • Summarise the budget challenges faced by a football club
  • Explain the difference between budgeting and forecasting
  • Illustrate how cost centres, business units and legal entities interact.

A player's contract represents their time spent at the club, but what are the elements of the contract and how are they accounted for? This module explains all.

Learning objectives

  • Illustrate the differences between player registration costs and employment costs
  • Describe the different elements of the cost of a player registration
  • Compute the value of the different elements of a player registration
  • Identify the elements of cost recognisable once a registration is acquired using a football example
  • Quantify the amount of amortisation charged to the income statement
  • Measure the impact of contractual changes such as contingent fees and contract extensions
  • Quantify the profit on disposal of a player registration including the impact of any sell on fees
  • Describe how signing on fees and loyalty bonuses are accounted for.

Revenue recognition standards are now more prescriptive than ever. How does the guidance interact with a football club?

Learning objectives

  • Define revenue and compare it to other sources of income for a football club
  • Explain the five steps of recognising revenue as prescribed by IFRS 15
  • Analyse football examples, understanding the performance obligations and identify the five steps to recognise revenue
  • Analyse and compute the distribution mechanisms for broadcasting revenue available to English football clubs
  • Explain the make-up of commercial revenue contracts
  • Summarise accounting considerations in relation to match day revenue
  • Summarise the impact of COVID-19 on the three main revenue streams of a football club.

Managing risk is a fundamental part of a finance professional's role. Explore financial and non-financial risks in football and how they are managed.

Learning objectives

  • Define the concept of risk management
  • Summarise the financial and non-financial risks faced by a football organisation; compare financial and non-financial risks
  • Explain the regulatory landscape faced by a football organisation
  • Explain liquidity risk, foreign exchange risk and credit risk in the context of a football club, using football examples
  • Describe how the financial risks to a football club can be managed
  • Explain the role of the treasury function in the context of risk management
  • Compare revenue recognition and cash receipts
  • Describe how insurance is used to manage risk.

Governance and control can make or break the financial results of a football club. The content of this module is critical knowledge for all professionals.

Learning objectives

  • Explain the concept of internal governance with reference to shareholders, the Board of Directors and the wider organisation
  • Analyse and define how authority is delegated to directors and employees, using football examples
  • Describe the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors in a football club
  • Compare the roles of executive and non-executive directors
  • Examine the purchase to pay process in the context of a player registration acquisition
  • Describe the sale to cash receipt process
  • Summarise the control environment and compare detection and prevention controls
  • Describe the role of other corporate functions and the Audit Committee.

The audit process brings the club's finances under constant scrutiny. Understanding the process is underpins a successful career in football finance.

Learning objectives

  • Compare external to internal audits
  • Explain the statutory audit process
  • Explain the roles within the statutory audit team
  • Structure the audit process into phases, understanding work shall be completed
  • Use a football example to describe a key process and the controls that sit within it
  • Show how audit risk is used to define the approach of an audit
  • Calculate audit materiality using the methodologies described
  • Describe the types of audit that will be experienced in a football environment
  • Identify different types of audit opinion
  • Explain the UEFA compliance audit and how it differs from the statutory audit.

An extensively debated topic - how do you think club's should be funded? Does your club have a choice? We explore the debt versus equity debate.

Learning objectives

  • Define and compare debt and equity from an accounting perspective
  • Compare the common attributes of debt and equity
  • Analyse the different ways that a football club could raise finance through debt
  • Compare cash flow to asset-based lending in the context of raising finance in a football organisation
  • Use football examples of securities to explain what is secured by a financial institution
  • Break down the football creditor rule
  • Explain the concept of a leveraged buyout in the context of a football club
  • Compare the pros and cons of debt and equity financing in football.

A highly specialised area of finance but every football finance professional must understand the concepts of taxation discussed in this module.

Learning objectives

  • Explain how UK football clubs generally pay taxes
  • Explain the different types of taxes that a football club is responsible for paying and withholding
  • Compute a summarised corporation tax calculation using simple allowances
  • Summarise key concepts of corporation tax elections and restrictions and how they affect clubs
  • Show how VAT is required to be charged by football clubs and when they need to register
  • Explain how employment taxes work in the UK, compute income taxes payable by football players
  • Quantify the differences between player services and club services agent fees
  • Quantify the differences between payments for employment services and image rights payments
  • Explain self-assessment, tax audits and compliance.

The most up-to-date evolution of "FFP" rules in Europe. A must-know for all football professionals.

Learning objectives

  • Define the UEFA FSR objectives
  • Summarise Club Licensing finance updates
  • Explain the transitional requirements between UEFA FFP and UEFA FSR
  • Summarise club monitoring updates
  • Explain the concepts of solvency, stability and cost control in the context of FSR
  • Understand the monitoring period including transitional requirements
  • Calculate your own football earnings calculation using a football example
  • Explain the concept of acceptable deviation and the evolution of the allowable deficit
  • Understand how the acceptable deviation can be increased with relevant investments and financial good health
  • Understand the consequences of breaching FSR