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Knut Schulz is an international football executive, coach developer, and talent development specialist with extensive experience across elite refereeing, professional clubs, academies, and federations. He has led and advised high-performance football projects in Germany, the Premier League ecosystem, and across Europe, with hands-on roles as Managing Director, Board Advisor, Club Owner and recently as Sports Director in Slovenia.
His expertise lies in Coach Development frameworks, football competence training, and systematic Individual Development Plans for talent identification (IDP's). Recent work includes designing and delivering a pilot “Training in Football Competence” program for DFB Elite Referees, contributing to UEFA Pro Licence workshops, and advising clubs and federations on coaching methodology, game models and player pathways.
Knut combines match analysis, data-informed decision-making, and leadership development with practical academy and first-team experience. He holds an MBA in Football Management and professional certifications in High Performance Leadership and Academy Management & Talent Development. His conference contributions bridge theory and applied practice, focusing on scalable coach education, sustainable talent pathways, and leadership in modern football environments with a specific view on the Balkan football systems.