General information

  • Qualification: Certificate for the Course in Venue Management and Operations from Johan Cruyff Institute, issued by using blockchain technology to guarantee the authenticity and integrity of the certificate.
  • Duration: 10 weeks. 6 ECTS (weekly dedication of 10 hours)
  • Start: October 14, 2025
  • Modality: Online
  • Language: English or Spanish
  • Price: € 1,096.-
  • Special conditions: Discount for members of related entities
  • Enrollment: Registration open until the start of the course

The program may be subject to change.
The institution reserves the right to cancel the edition of the program if it does not meet the minimum number of students.

Introduction

Sport is big business globally. The business of football accounts for a large segment of that global sport business. However, football cannot operate without having quality venues for everything from training to matches. Hence, in order for football to be big business, there must be a complete understanding of football venue management and it’s operations.

Objectives

This course looks at the business and management concepts inherent to quality management of football infrastructure.

The course will start with a summary of what venue management is, and then continue to articulate the various organisational, human resource, financial, and operations management concepts inherent to managing football stadiums. This will be followed with an investigation into the logistical functions and issues to be considered for venue management in football, including event planning and management, risk assessment, security planning, marketing, and hospitality/VIP management. The course will conclude with a look at measuring performance in terms of financial and operational success using the Balanced Scorecard as the foundational model for measurement.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • To understand the scope of venue management.
  • To understand the difference between match day and non-match day operations, business as usual operations and major event operations.
  • To understand the different functional areas involved in managing venues.To understand the importance of safety & security and how to manage risk.

Program

The program has 6 credits (ECTS), spread over 10 weeks. The course is composed of various teaching units (UD) and each one consists of a continuous assessment test, in which you interactively apply theory, complemented with solving exercises and practical cases.

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  • Introduction
  • Venue management
  • Working with stakeholders
  • Sustainability
  • Safety & security
  • Event operations
  • Managing risk
  • Compliance
  • Alternative uses of stadiums
  • Accessibility
  • Fans
  • FIFA world cups

ACADEMIC CERTIFICATION Certificate for the Course in Venue Management and Operations from Johan Cruyff Institute.

Learning model

METHODOLOGYOur online courses offer complete flexibility, allowing students to access content whenever it suits them throughout the week. We recommend dedicating between 8 and 10 hours weekly to stay up-to-date with the tutor-scheduled assignments, though the actual time required may vary depending on prior knowledge of the subject or professional experience in the field. On the virtual campus, students will have access to all essential resources for their progress, including notes, podcasts, videos, articles, and case studies, all under the precise guidance of a tutor who will provide directions on activities and deadlines.

Moreover, the courses feature several live webinars led by the professor or invited experts. While attending these webinars in real time is recommended, sessions will be recorded and made available on the virtual campus for later viewing. The courses are structured in three phases: a theoretical phase during the first four weeks, followed by a practical phase during next four weeks leading to a personal project in the last two weeks.

BENEFITS

  • Learning 3.0: flexible schedules, different learning environments and technologies.
  • World-class faculty: interaction with expert faculty and industry professionals.
  • Collaborative tools, teamwork, communication and debate.
  • Sports-industry oriented: training that approaches the business sector of the sports industry.
  • Learning from experience: designed for professional improvement.

Faculty

The Johan Cruyff Institute teachers are experts from the sports sector and combine research and consultancy with teaching. Through their experience and knowledge, they have developed a broad variety of cases and concepts to work with.

Learn more about our Faculty pool.

Student services

VIRTUAL CAMPUSAs a student of the Course in Venue Management and Operations, you’ll have exclusive access to the learning platform that will allow you to monitor your academic progress 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world. The virtual campus provides a collaborative environment between professors and students facilitating e-mails, chats, videos, books articles, case studies, simulations, experiences, websites, blogs and a video library. You’ll have a wide range of tools at your disposal so your learning experience can be interactive, enriching and complete.

NETWORKING & ALUMNI CRUYFF INSTITUTEJohan Cruyff Institute offers students, alumni, faculty and members of our network the opportunity to connect and collaborate, to share their passion for sports and their professional expertise.

The Alumni Cruyff Institute provides a means of interconnection that will enable the whole community not only to re-establish contact with fellow students, but also to create new links with people from the sports sector throughout the whole network who can offer new experiences and initiatives to keep growing in the profession.

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