The university training of the sports manager in Italy between legislative misapplications and overlapping degree courses
Authors: Esposito Giovanni , D’Isanto Tiziana , Ceruso Rosario , Di Domenico Felice , Raiola Gaetano 
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The implementation of the 2021 sports reform in Italy introduced new professional figures, including the sports manager, defined by Legislative Decree no. 36/2021. According to this law, a master's degree in Organization and Management of Services for Exercise and Sport Sciences (LM-47) is required to practice as a sports manager. However, some universities offer bachelor's and master's degree courses in sports management under different study classes, such as Sciences of Legal Services (L-14), Administration and Organization Sciences (L-16), Business and Management Sciences (L-18), and Business Economics (LM-77). These degree courses may qualify individuals as pseudo-sports managers, despite substantial differences in the educational content compared to the legally defined sports manager profile. This study aimed to assess the illegitimate overlap of degree courses outside the class LM-47 and the discrepancies in their study plans compared to those of LM-47, which is the only one corresponding to the sports manager profile.

Methods

This documentary investigation used the two Ministerial Decrees of 2007 of the bachelor’s and master’s degree classes to extrapolate the degree courses involved in the overlap. Universitaly portal was used to identify the relevant subjects included in the individual degree courses in sports management other than the LM-47. The textual analysis of the objectives and content of the degree courses was done through the literature review tool Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), highlighting the relevant or consistent elements of the profile of the sports manager as established by law.

Results

Degree courses in Law and Sports Management in class L-14 have a juridical professional profile, which is minimally relevant to the sports manager's role. Similarly, degree courses in Economics and Business Management Sciences in the class L-18 and Administration and Organization Sciences in the class L-16 focus on economic–financial administration and management control, lacking alignment with the sports manager profile. Even master's degree courses in the class LM-77 exhibit disparities with the sports manager profile as defined by the law. Furthermore, all these degree courses lack European credit transfer system (ECTS) credits in the exercise and sport sciences area, an essential aspect of the sports manager profession.

Conclusion

There are evident contradictions in the degree courses designed for sports managers other than LM-47. According to the law, a master’s degree in study class LM-47 is required to pursue this profession, but there are several degree programs from different classes of study (juridical and economic) available in the national educational offering. This situation may lead to the misapplication of Legislative Decree no. 36/2021 and result in problems with professional accreditation and limited employment opportunities for graduates of such courses. To promote the development of this professional figure, it is necessary to improve the educational offerings in the LM-47 with a more integrated approach to various economic and juridical knowledge to meet the educational needs of future sports managers who navigate the real dynamics of the sports industry.