FBIN Management Excellence Awards 2026: The Nominees

Celebrating outstanding achievements in football business, the FBIN Management Excellence Awards recognise the most impactful initiatives and projects across the industry. With six categories, the awards highlight those driving innovation, setting new benchmarks, and shaping the future of football management.

We are delighted to reveal the shortlists for the FBIN Management Excellence Awards 2026!

The six Award Categories

• Best Innovation Initiative: The award for initiatives that demonstrate how organisations embrace innovation as part of their strategy and culture.
• Impact Beyond Business: Recognising projects that create outstanding positive social, environmental, or community impact.
• Outstanding Organisational Development: Recognising projects that strengthen organisational performance through strategic development, transformation, new ways of working, talent development, or organisational excellence, creating sustainable impact and long-term success.
• Best Venue Experience Initiative: Recognising projects that enhance the venue experience through innovative operations, visitor engagement, accessibility, technology, or service excellence, creating lasting value for fans, guests, and stakeholders.
• Best Digital Transformation Initiative: Recognising projects that achieve lasting organisational improvement through digital transformation efforts.
• Best Tool or Service: Honors tools or services that have a big impact on the strategic and operational management of football organisations.

The eight Jury Members

Following a thorough evaluation of all submissions, the jury has selected the top three nominees in each category. The jury consists of:

• Zoe Brough, Founder, ZB People & Culture Consulting
• Daniel Cerejido, Head of Club Relations, EFC
• Juan Fuentes Fernández, Co-Chair, EBAN Sports
• Tori Hufler, Interntional Advisor, American Football and NFL
• Christian Jäger, Founder, Sponsors Partner
• Lander Monbaliu, Managing Partner & CBO, LaSource
• Stijn Slaats, Football & Social Responsibility Consultant
• Mathias Slezak, Press Officer, Austrian Bundesliga
  

The Nominees

Best Innovation Initiative

• 1. FSV Mainz 05 e.V.: Echo05: AI-powered match reporting
• FK Teplice FK: Teplice AI Club | One AI. One Club. Multiple Departments.
• KRC Genk: Young Genkies Passport

Impact Beyond Business

• Motherwell FC Community Trust: Senior Steel Club
• SK Slavia Praha: WHEN RED GOES MISSING
• VfL Bochum 1848: Beyond the Game – Empowering Young Voices Through Football

Outstanding Organisational Development

• Club Brugge: Built from within: Sports OS
• KRC Genk: Rise Above Fan Participation
• VfL Bochum 1848: Beirat Zukunft – Giving the Next Generation a Voice in Club Development

Best Venue Experience Initiative

• Huddersfield Town Football Club: HTAFC Guest Experience Programme
• Legia Training Center / Legia Warszawa: Legia Warsaw’s Second Home – Most Open Facility in Europe
• Sporting Clube de Portugal: Lion’s Corner Roche Bobois

Best Digital Transformation Initiative

• Club Brugge: From collecting data to acting on evidence
• SC Braga: We didn’t stop the game to change it.
• Vitoria SC: CONQUERING THE DIGITAL ARENA

Best Tool or Service

• Borro: The Final Whistle Should End the Match. Not Start a Queue.
• Stats Perform: Stats Perform’s Opta Graphics
• TicketCo: AS Agent 44 at Sportsklubben Brann

Congratulations to all shortlisted nominees! The winners will be announced on 17 November, during the Welcome Evening prior the FBIN Management Excellence Summit in Lisbon.