Michael Tait
UCFB Wembley
Course Lecturer
BA (Hons) International Football Business
Michael is a former collegiate level football player from Toronto, Canada. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, Michael enrolled at the prestigious Real Madrid Graduate School where he graduated with a Master’s degree with Honours in International Sports Law.
Following this, he interned for one of the most influential sports law firms in South America – Bichara e Motta Advogados – where he assisted in the firm’s cases involving elite level footballers, Olympic athletes and key football stakeholders in their disputes before FIFA & CAS.
Having worked as a licensed football agent for the past five years, Michael specializes in talent identification, player management and contract negotiations for footballers in the MLS, USL & Canadian Premier League. A strong understanding of the North American football landscape has allowed Michael to introduce many players from this region to European clubs, as well as represent several clients in negotiating their first professional contracts.
Areas of expertise
- FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players
- FIFA Agent Regulations
- Scouting, Talent Development & Athlete Management
- International Sports Law
- WADA Code
Industry expertise
- Talent Identification & Player Management
- Contract Negotiation
- Pro Bono cases before FIFA – overdue payables, training compensation, solidarity payments & contract termination with just cause
- Drafting legal submissions & appeals on behalf of Olympic level athletes before International Sporting Federations, WADA & CAS
- Growth of Football (Soccer) in North American Football
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport jurisprudence
- A. Political Science – St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia, Canada)
- L.M. International Sports Law – Real Madrid Graduate School (Madrid, Spain)
- Football Legal 12th Edition – Single Entity Structure: The MLS and the Power of the League