Programme Leader, BA (Hons) International Football Business
Dr Michael Anagnostou is a highly experienced international football industry expert with a strong interest in sports marketing research. His professional career over the past 23 years comprises important positions in sports industry, including:
- FIFA (FIFA World Cups General Coordinator),
- UEFA (Match Delegate in UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Euro Qualifying matches and UEFA Youth Leagues),
- Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organising Committee (Football Competition Manager),
- Super League-Greece (CEO, Director of Competitions and Chair of various committees),
- European Leagues (General Assembly member and member of committees and task-forces),
- Nottingham Forest F.C. (Head of Football Operations),
- ARIS Thessaloniki F.C. (Football Director, Marketing Director)
- Sports Business conferences (founder and coordinator)
- Football academy tournaments (founder and coordinator)
- Beach Soccer competitions (founder and coordinator)
Dr Michael Anagnostou has worked in countries such as Korea, Nigeria, Mexico, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Andorra, Georgia, Luxemburg, Czech Republic, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and many more.
Dr Michael Anagnostou holds a PhD in Sports Science (focus in Brand Management); MSc in Sports and Recreation Management (Dissertation Thesis in football clubs’ merchandising); and a Bachelors’ Degree in Sports Science and Physical Education. He speaks English, Greek and Spanish.
In 2012, he was awarded “Sport Manager of the Year” from the Greek Academic Association of Sport Management for his contribution and commitment to the Sports Industry.
As a football player he has played for National Football Team of Greece (U16), Panthrakikos F.C. men’s team and he has been awarded National Champion of Greece with the Regional U18 of Macedonia-Thessaloniki and ARIS Thessaloniki F.C. U23 for which he played in all youth teams (U9 - U23).
Throughout his professional career he has been teaching and delivering lectures for Sports and Business Universities in Greece and UK. He has demonstrated academic activity through presentations in various academic sports management conferences while he is working on scientific articles on Consumer Based Brand Equity and Brand Associations in Football Competitions, currently under submission in scientific journals.
His experience with global organisations and events has provided him with a thorough and applied knowledge of the contemporary challenges in football governance, marketing, management, event management and leadership in the Global Football Industry. As a result, he has built up a broad network of top sport organisations: Confederations, Federations, Professional Leagues, Associations and Agencies across Europe and globally.
- International Football Events & Competitions
- Professional Football Clubs Operations
- Professional Football Leagues
- International Football Business
- Football Operations
- Consumer Based Brand Associations in Sports
- Corporate Crisis Communication Response Strategies
- Sports Marketing
- Greek Academic Association of Sports Management (ELLEDA)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Sports Science & Physical Education
- Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Sports & Recreation Management
- BSc in Sports Science and Physical Education
- International Sport Law Certificate
- Negotiation Techniques, Executive Seminars
- Finance and Balance sheet analysis, Executive Seminars
- Emotional Intelligence, Executive seminars, September – November 2016
- Languages: English (excellent), Spanish (good), Greek (native)
Head of Football Operations, Nottingham Forest F.C.
FIFA World Cup General Coordinator
- “FIFA U20 Turkey World Cup”, 2013
- “FIFA U17 Mexico World Cup”, 2011
- “FIFA U17 Nigeria World Cup”, 2009
- “FIFA U17 Korea World Cup”, 2007
UEFA Match Delegate
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Europa League
- EURO Qualifying matches
- Youth Champions League, 2012 – 2017
- “Athens 2004” Olympic Games – Competition Manager (Football) 2002 – 2004
- CEO, “Super League-Greece”, 2012 - 2017
- General Assembly Member in “European Leagues” (European Professional Football Leagues Association), 2012 - 2017
- Director of Events & Competitions, “Super League Greece”, 2006 - 2012
- Director of Football, Aris Thessaloniki F.C., 2005-2006
- Marketing Director, ARIS Thessaloniki F.C., 1998 - 2001
Associate Lecturer in “Professional Sports Clubs and Leagues Management”, Institute of Sports Business, Athens
Associate Lecturer in “Sports Management & Marketing in Sports Clubs”, Thessaloniki Business School “ICBS”
Guest speaker in various UK Universities
“Consuming behaviour and perceptions of sport fans in UK”, 20th Conference of Hellenic Conference of Sports Management, January 2020, Thessaloniki, Greece.
“Identification of competition related Brand Associations linked with the UEFA Champions League football competition”, 2nd World Conference for Sports Management (University of Peloponnese), Sparta, Greece, June 2007.
“The difference among demographic factors of the Greek fans on Brand Loyalty of UEFA Champions League competition”, 2nd World Conference for Sports Management (University of Peloponnese), Sparta, Greece, June 2007.
“Examination of the factors contributing to brand equity creation in football clubs and football competitions”, 12Th International Congress on Physical Education & Sports (Democritus University of Thrace), Komotini, Greece, May 2004.
“Study of the role of brand associations in brand equity creation in football clubs and competitions”, 12Th International Congress on Physical Education & Sports (Democritus University of Thrace), Komotini, Greece, May 2004.
“Brand Extension. New challenges for football clubs”, 3rd Hellenic Congress for Sports Management, Thessaloniki, Greece, October 2002.
“CEOs’ Perceptions for the educational and training needs for their managers in Greek Sport Organizations”, 10th Congress of European Association for Sports Management (EASM), Uvaskila, Finland, September 2002.
“The Organization & Management of Professional football clubs in Europe”, 7th Congress of the European Association for Sport Management, Thessaloniki, Greece, September 1999.
“Theoretical approach of merchandising in football. Case studies in G. Britain football clubs”, 7Th International Congress on Physical Education & Sports (Democritus University of Thrace), Komotini, Greece, May 1999.
“Special Events Organization in Sport Academies”, Seminar of Educational Academy for Sport Executives, Thessaloniki, Greece, April 1999.
“A case study for Sheffield Wednesday F.C. merchandising consumers”, 5th International Congress on Physical Education & Sports (Democritus University of Thrace), Komotini, Greece, May 1997.
