FOCUS - Footballers' Opportunities for Careers,

The FOCUS Dual Career project arises in response to an undeniable reality—one that demands immediate conceptual restructuring and institutional reform. The existing frameworks governing Dual Career pathways have remained largely static, burdened by the constraints of bureaucratic inertia and outdated presuppositions regarding the relationship between elite football and academic progression. Consequently, young athletes are frequently relegated to the status of passive recipients of externally imposed structures rather than active participants in their own developmental trajectories. The FOCUS Dual Career Co-Creation Project aims to establish an innovative and scalable Dual Career framework, ensuring elite football players can successfully transition from youth to professional football while maintaining educational and career opportunities This project rethinks Dual Career best practices by embedding co-creation activities between club staff, young athletes, and academic institutions, ensuring a holistic approach to career development. Utilizing the Cynefin framework, athletes and stakeholders will explore decision-making strategies in complex career transitions, with an emphasis on narrative-driven ethnographic research to shape European policy recommendations. A multidisciplinary sport science team will track athlete development via longitudinal physiological testing, ensuring evidence-based policy recommendations and sustainability. The project will culminate in the dissemination of practical toolkits, policy guidelines, and a scalable Dual Career model, integrating sport and education to foster athlete success beyond the playing field. The FOCUS Dual Career project represents a systemic and intellectual departure from conventional paradigms, operating at the intersection of sports science, academic research, and institutional policy reform that is published through this page expresses the views of the project beneficiaries only and it does not represent the views of the European Union or the European Commission. It shall not be deemed to constitute legal or official notice on behalf of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for this content nor the use thereof made by any third parties. Page 2 of 2