Former Villarreal CF player Manu Trigueros has joined the faculty for a sports business diploma at the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera in Castellón, according to reports. The educational program is designed to bridge the gap between athletic performance and corporate management.
Launching the Sports Business Diploma in Castellón
The Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera launched the Diploma Universitario de Especialización en Empresas del Sector Deportes at its Castellón campus starting this academic term. Integrated directly into the schedule of the bachelor’s degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (CAFYD), the specialized program is offered to students at no additional cost. Academic leaders introduced the curriculum alongside Trigueros, who serves as one of the program’s instructors.
The course addresses a growing demand for professionals equipped with both technical sports expertise and business acumen. Francisco Pardo, vice-dean of education and CAFYD degrees at CEU Castellón, stated that the initiative equips students with competencies usually absent from traditional curricula. He noted that the program aims to broaden career opportunities within a rapidly expanding industry.
“The objective of this new proposed training is to expand the training of CAFYD students with knowledge that usually remains outside traditional study plans, but which proves decisive for their professional development,” Pardo said.
Diploma Blends Sports Management Studies with Industry Practice
Students enrolled in the diploma will study club management, event organization, sports marketing, and technological innovation applied to physical activity. The syllabus incorporates masterclasses, seminars, workshops, visits to sports entities, and direct interactions with industry professionals. Organizers have also opened select seminars to external sports professionals across the province to foster continuous professional development and create a networking forum for regional industry challenges.
Pardo emphasized that the qualification provides a distinct and complementary approach to the standard CAFYD degree. He described the curriculum as a unique combination of technical understanding and business vision aimed at teaching students the operational mechanics of sports organizations.
Manu Trigueros on Professionalizing Sports Management
Bringing firsthand experience from his playing career, Manu Trigueros outlined the administrative demands facing modern sports organizations during the presentation. Trigueros graduated with a degree in Primary Education from CEU Castellón alongside his professional football career.
“Sport has an increasingly high level of professionalization and demands specific knowledge in areas such as planning, management of people and resources, economics, communication, or legislation,” Trigueros told the CAFYD students. “Good training provides us with the necessary tools to face with criteria the responsibilities that leading a sports entity implies.”
Outlining the core competencies for future administrators, Trigueros highlighted three essential attributes: teamwork, organizational capacity, and decision-making. He added that proper academic grounding and cohesive team structures support more reliable administrative decisions.
