Football Department: A Practical Guide to Football Staff Networking

Football Department is a project co-founded by Moran Cerkez to connect football clubs with professional staff. It should not be confused with a football operations news publication. This introduction explains how to approach staff networking and hiring; the separate Football Department case study discusses the project’s reported early growth.

Relationship disclosure: this publication belongs to Football Marketing Agency, founded by Moran. This is not an independent assessment of his other project. Details of the network’s early membership were supplied by the founder and should not be read as endorsements from the clubs associated with individual members.

Define the vacancy before looking for names

A club looking for an analyst, coach or physiotherapist should first specify the work it needs done. Include reporting line, working hours, travel, employment arrangement, location and budget. “Elite experience” is not a complete brief: a candidate can have a recognisable former employer without being suitable for your staffing model.

Separate essential qualifications from preferences. Ask your relevant federation, professional body and local advisers which credentials and checks apply. Where the role involves children, safeguarding and eligibility checks are part of selection, not optional steps after an offer.

A network is the beginning of recruitment

Finding an interesting profile does not verify current availability, qualifications, references or permission to work. Contact the person privately, explain the role and confirm whether they want to discuss it. Do not publish a shortlist, infer a club’s endorsement or announce a hiring conversation without authorisation.

Use the same structured questions for comparable candidates. Give candidates enough context to explain how they would work within your resources, rather than asking for free confidential analysis of another club.

Keep the commercial terms clear

Before using a platform or intermediary, confirm who provides the service, what it costs, which checks it performs and whether any placement fee applies. This guide does not establish current Football Department pricing or promise that joining will produce a job or hire.

Build a hiring brief that candidates can assess

A networking profile gives you a potential introduction; the brief explains whether a conversation is worthwhile. Describe the department’s problem, not just the title. An analyst supporting a volunteer first team has different responsibilities from an analyst joining an established full-time staff.

Include the expected outputs, reporting line, facilities, software access, match and travel requirements, working arrangement and compensation range where appropriate. Identify who can authorise hiring and when a decision is expected. Clarify whether the role is employment, a contracted project or another arrangement requiring local advice.

Hypothetical example: a semi-professional club needs a part-time video analyst. Its brief lists a pre-match opposition summary, a post-match review, available footage and the coach who approves priorities. It also states that travel and live capture are outside the initial scope. A suitable candidate can now assess the actual workload instead of guessing what “performance analysis support” means.

For responsibilities involving marketing and sporting staff, the agency-selection guide offers a related method for defining scope and ownership.

Verify claims through a consistent assessment process

Use the same essential questions for comparable candidates. Ask for an example of a decision they supported, the resources available and what they would change in hindsight. Evaluate their explanation against the role, not the prestige of a club name.

Request references with the candidate’s knowledge and check qualifications through the appropriate issuer or professional body. Confirm current availability and any employment restrictions through proper channels. A profile badge or stated affiliation does not replace these checks. This guide does not establish which verification services Football Department currently offers.

If a work sample is useful, make it proportionate, use fictional or authorised material and explain the assessment criteria. Consider payment for substantial assignments. Do not request confidential player data, proprietary scouting reports or unpaid work the club intends to use commercially.

Record evidence separately from impressions. A concise assessment table can include role fit, communication, relevant credentials, practical availability and unresolved questions. Avoid retaining unnecessary personal information or informal judgements unrelated to the vacancy.

Keep introductions and club information confidential

Contact candidates through an appropriate professional channel and describe why you are approaching them. Do not copy a public profile into a marketing list or share a shortlist outside the hiring group without a legitimate purpose and appropriate safeguards.

Access to information is not permission to publish it. A recruitment conversation, proposed move or medical detail should not become a social-media announcement. Share only the information a candidate needs at each stage. Obtain qualified advice on data protection, employment and safeguarding requirements for the actual jurisdiction.

Where a role involves children, complete the required safeguarding and eligibility checks before access is granted. Professional reputation or introductions from trusted contacts are not substitutes. Use documented club procedures rather than inventing a separate process for a high-profile candidate.

Make the appointment and handover explicit

Before an appointment, put responsibilities, fees or salary, reporting expectations, confidentiality, intellectual-property terms and notice arrangements in writing. Clarify who owns accounts and working files. Check whether any intermediary charges a placement fee and which party is responsible.

Prepare an onboarding plan with the line manager, authorised system access and initial priorities. For the hypothetical analyst above, the first deliverable might be a sample review using approved footage, followed by a discussion about what the coach actually needs.

At the review point, assess delivery and collaboration rather than expecting one new hire to change match results. Keep the Football Department growth case study separate from this hiring decision: reported network growth does not prove the suitability of a particular candidate or guarantee recruitment outcomes.