Club Licensing | Mohamed Sobh

04 / Club Licensing

Club licensing as a development and control framework.

FIFA describes club licensing as a development and control tool used to raise standards in strategic areas of football clubs, traditionally including sporting, infrastructure, administration, legal and financial areas. citeturn0search1

Sporting CriteriaTechnical and sporting standards, youth development and football structure.

InfrastructureStadium, training facilities and infrastructure requirements.

Personnel & AdministrationQualified staff, defined roles and administrative capacity.

LegalLegal standing, documentation, contracts and regulatory compliance.

FinancialFinancial information, controls, transparency and sustainability.

Licensing ProcessApplication, evidence, assessment, decision and follow-up.

Corrective ActionsAddressing gaps and documenting improvement.

Continuous ReadinessLicensing should be managed as an ongoing organizational discipline.

Practical Checklist

Licensing readiness starts long before submission.

Area	Management Question	Evidence
Governance	Are responsibilities and decision rights clear?	Structure, policies, minutes, delegations
Personnel	Are required roles filled by qualified people?	Contracts, qualifications, job descriptions
Infrastructure	Are facilities compliant and maintained?	Certificates, inspections, maintenance records
Legal	Are legal obligations documented and controlled?	Corporate documents, contracts, legal records
Financial	Are financial controls and reporting robust?	Accounts, budgets, reports, controls