Discover how The FBA blends academic excellence, industry insight, and enduring alumni support to accelerate careers in football.
The Football Business Academy was recently ranked number 38 worldwide and top 10 in Europe in the SportsBusiness Postgraduate Course Rankings 2025. Additionally, The FBA is ranked as the only 100% football focused degree in the global rankings. These numbers are great when it comes to offering potential Candidates the chance to attend a great football focused program, but what might be even more important to note is how the Alumni feel after graduation. What is the employability rate? What is career advancement like? How is The FBA supporting Alumni after Graduation?
“The FBA Alumni Network plays a very important role in helping graduates navigate the Football Industry and it’s increasing by the day. Every day we see how the Alumni connections shape the journey of those coming after and being part of it with business opportunities, job connections and more.” – Rubén Figueira Director of Program Success and Alumni Relations
At The FBA, every Candidate comes in and leaves with the understanding that they are not just a number but a part of The FBA Family. Each intake offers a limited number of seats, allowing a personalized approach while completing the program. There is time dedicated to 1 on 1’s for career building, interview preparations, resume/cv help and real staff to Candidate connections outside of their studies. And while in course help is a priority, The FBA is emphasizing the importance of Alumni support after graduation and for life and the rankings from SportsBusiness show just that. Ranked top 40 for employability after graduation with 90% of Alumni finding work in the first 3 months, and top 25 for career advancement, The FBA truly understands what it means to be there for support when entering the football industry. While football is a worldwide sport, The FBA understands the difficulties, intricacies and what it takes to enter. Having the network and support from The FBA, makes entering the Football Industry that much easier and less daunting.
SportsBusiness asked CEO Kristian Dobrev, what have been the biggest changes to your programme over the past five years? He says, “One thing that we do very well at The FBA is constantly gathering feedback from our community and keeping our pulse on industry trends by engaging daily with our programme participants, alumni, faculty, industry partners, and professionals, as well as attending global events such as World Football Summit. As a result, we have regularly updated our curriculum to reflect these insights, always considering our graduates’ employability. Five years ago, based on student feedback, we relocated our programme’s on-campus part from Switzerland to Portugal, marking a significant change. More recently, with our alumni network now exceeding 350 members, we have intensified our alumni relations efforts to create and unlock even more opportunities for past, current, and future students.”
Leading the Charge in Alumni Relations: Ruben Figueira’s Vision for The FBA Community
The FBA recently appointed Rubén Figueira as Director of Program Success and Alumni Relations with his goal of unlocking these opportunities. We recently sat down with Rubén to understand a bit more about what he is doing to keep Alumni connections strong.
When it comes to Alumni job search after graduation, we asked what specific support was being offered to Alumni. He said, “We try to stay connected to our community and their necessities. We have become a solution for partners around the world when it comes to finding the right profiles and connecting them with the right person. We try to offer guidance on their CVs, approaching the recruiters, interview preparations and more.” Additionally, he mentioned that while this support is offered, The FBA really encourages alumni to be active in the community. This includes sharing job opportunities and reaching out to support other Alumni and even asking for support if needed. As mentioned, The FBA facilitates continued professional development after graduation and Ruben believes that staying in touch as well as offering this for their lifetime throughout their journey is key in making an impact.
The FBA Alumni Community continues to grow as a dynamic online network, and while operating digitally presents its own challenges, it also opens significant opportunities for expansion. Within this community, graduates connect through dedicated spaces that foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and professional support — all centred around the shared mission of shaping the future of football.
With Rubén’s appointment, The FBA aims to further strengthen and unify these alumni interactions. His focus will be on bringing people together and cultivating meaningful opportunities through carefully curated initiatives, events, and future platforms. The Alumni Community will increasingly be led by Alumni and built for Alumni, ensuring that its development remains authentic, relevant, and truly reflective of those it serves.
The Proof is in the Pudding: Alumni Success
“Supportive, global, diverse, and committed to driving the game forward together. The FBA gave me tools, but more importantly, it gave me people.” — Bakary Ceesay (14th Edition)
The success of The FBA’s Alumni Network can be seen through the journeys of its graduates. From working at leading football clubs and federations to launching their own sports ventures, The FBA Alumni are shaping the business of football around the world. Graduates have gone on to roles in areas such as player representation, commercial partnerships, fan engagement, and sustainability — proving that the skills and connections gained during the program extend far beyond the classroom. Many credit The FBA’s hands-on approach and personalized career support as key factors in helping them secure positions within a highly competitive industry.
Today The FBA community is global and growing as well as its impact. Alumni like Michael Morozuk, Bakary Ceesay and Thom Burt met during the program and went on to co-found a consultancy firm together, leveraging the network formed in The FBA cohort to launch new business opportunities. Meanwhile alumnus Max continues to support future Candidates by bringing in Candidates for internships, sharing insights and being part of the alumni network. The FBA network is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a community of collaborators that spans continents, industries and roles, turning classmates into co-founders, mentors and lifelong connections.
“Honestly, The FBA is the reason that I have this role. I wouldn’t have heard about this role if it wasn’t for The FBA… I know that there’s a whole network of people that I can reach out to personally or professionally at any point.” — Natalie Bowles (9th Edition)
If you are interested in being not just part of an outstanding program, but one that will support you for life, join The Football Business Academy’s Professional Master Degree in Football Business. Applications are open for March and September 2026. Apply Today!
