Skip links

South Korea’s pro K League and The FBA sign a Partnership Agreement

The Football Business Academy and K League have entered into an agreement that will see the global leader in football business education and South Korea’s professional football league collaborate. 

It’s a great honor to welcome the K League into The FBA Family. As one of the strongest and most popular football leagues in Asia, this partnership will facilitate exciting collaboration opportunities that can lead to valuable improvements and impact across the board for everyone involved. We look forward to kicking things off with a first internship experience this spring, in which one of our Candidates from the Netherlands will go to South Korea to assist the K League with special projects.

Kristian Dobrev, Deputy CEO, The FBA

I am very glad that the K League and The FBA have formed an educational partnership. I have no doubt that our partnership will be of great help and model not only for the internships but also for those who dream of the football industry in the future in terms of educational aspects of both institutions. Through the overall exchange between the two organizations, we will integrate Asia and Europe to develop the global football industry and become a strong supporter of The FBA.

Yeonsang Cho, General Secretary, K League 

The K League, which was originally founded in 1983 under a different name and is now run by the K League Federation, has played a significant role in the development of professional football in South Korea for the past 40 years. 

From improving the promotion and relegation system introducing the playoffs in 2013 for the K League 1 and K League 2 teams (first and second division, respectively) that manage since the 2018 season; to the implementation of the VAR system and the creation of the K League Academy, their efforts have paid off.  

With the belief that clubs’ financial stability is essential for the revitalization of the K League, they have embarked on different business projects overseas to strengthen the relations with foreign markets and secure growth. The launch of their own TV platform called K League TV, which gives access to all the matches and coverage in English, has reinforced their international mindset and their willingness to reach new audiences. 

With this mutually beneficial alliance we seek to collaborate on topics of strategic interest that will unlock valuable opportunities for both organizations, ensuring not just a holistic learning environment for our Master Candidates -future industry professionals- through internships and Student Business Projects; but also a variety of synergies aligned to the club’s business plan and development strategies, especially linked to Asian football.

The Football Business Academy is delighted to partner with K League to take football business education to the next level.  

 

ABOUT K LEAGUE

K League was founded in 1983 as South Korea’s professional football league, which includes first division K League 1 and second division K League 2. As of 2023, there have been a total of 25 clubs in the history of the league. In 2023, the K League was named the “Best Asian League” by IFFHS for the 12th consecutive year, and it is the league with the most wins in the AFC Champions League.

In addition to the league operation, we have signed various sponsorship and actively engaged in social contribution activities for the overall development of K League. In addition, we are making a lot of efforts to expand the broadcasting rights of K League, and we are organizing and conducting various educational projects and programs for talented people who will be responsible for K League in the future. 

Follow K League on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

ABOUT THE FBA 

The Football Business Academy is a global leader in football business education whose goal is to accelerate the professionalization of the football industry and develop current and future leaders in the game. Founded in 2017 and based in Switzerland, The FBA is best known for its flagship degree – the Professional Master in Football Business – which is a 12-month program with two intakes each year.

Furthermore, various football-related stakeholders seek the services of The FBA for the creation and/or delivery of a variety of tailor-made workshops, certificates, or diplomas. Other partners of The FBA include AFC, CONMEBOL, NWSL, Club Nacional de Football, Irish FA, Saudi Pro League, SL Benfica, Common Goal, Socios.com, Mazatlán FC, YouFirst, RCD Espanyol, Soccerex and Sportive Ways.

Follow The FBA on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

 

PRESS RELEASE