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The PFA Business School – the players’ union’s educational institute – hosted its inaugural graduation ceremony at London’s Emirates Stadium on Monday 15 September, celebrating the achievements of its first cohort of graduating students.

The event brought together graduates, their families, as well as faculty and senior representatives from across football and business.

The graduation ceremony recognised the completion of four programmes including Global Football Business Management, Global Football Sports Directorship, Psychology, Emotional Intelligence and Leadership, and EDI Directorship in Sports Organisations.

Maheta Molango, PFA CEO, said: “This graduation demonstrates that players can be leaders well beyond the pitch. The PFA Business School exists to prepare our members for those opportunities – giving them the skills and confidence to influence football and wider society for years to come. Today’s graduates represent the first step in building a new generation of decision-makers from within the game.”

The PFA Business School is a player-centric initiative established by the players’ union to help footballers develop new skills beyond the pitch and unlock career opportunities within and beyond the sport.

Led by experts from the world of football, sport and beyond, its faculty includes over 75 renowned practitioners, representing more than 50 clubs across 13 countries – including Liverpool, AC Milan, Red Bull Leipzig, Chelsea and Sevilla. Together, they bring a global perspective and practical, hands-on insight into the realities of running clubs and organisations at the highest level.

Courses are delivered through a blend of online study and in-person seminars in London and Manchester, ensuring players can balance their learning with the demands of training and competition. Delivered in partnership with the University of Portsmouth, the programmes combine academic rigour with real-world relevance, preparing graduates for roles in leadership, management, psychology, governance and enterprise.

The class of 2025 includes familiar names from the professional game. Among those graduating are Newcastle United and DR Congo international Yoane Wissa, Manchester City’s former treble-winning captain, Ilkay Gündogan, and Aston Villa and England player Lucy Staniforth.

Phil Jones, former Manchester United defender and PFA Business School graduate, attended the inaugural graduation event. He said: “It’s a proud moment for me to graduate today. This is something I decided I wanted to do when I retired. I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s been a good networking opportunity as well as an educational one, and I’m really excited about what doors it opens up in the future.”

“When I finished playing, I asked myself: ‘Well, what do I do now?’. I like the coaching side of the game, and I’m still really ambitious about that, but I needed something else as well. This gave me a focus which is what I needed at the time.

“I reached out to the PFA when I heard about the course and it’s something that I was passionate about doing; something I could get my teeth into. The technical aspects of the sporting directorship role I really admire, and maybe in the future it’s a role that I’d like to fill.”