A financial and legal expertise will be delivered at this year’s Soccerex Global Convention, 7-9 September, at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, with some of the industry’s leading companies giving an in depth insight into the key financial and legal issues in world football such as third party ownership, crowdfunding, image rights, financial best practice and transfers and player management.

With an increasingly wide and diverse group of wealthy investors being attracted to the football industry, ownership in football has never been so closely scrutinised. Opening up to the industry about this key topic will be expert speakers Daniel Cravo Souza, Senior Partner, Cravo, Pastl & Balbuena & Lawyer, SC Internacional & Fluminense FC, Trevor Watkins, Global Head of Sport, Pinsent Masons, Ramon Vega, Founder & CEO, Vega Swiss Asset Management and Sean Cottrell, CEO and Founder, LawInSport. The panel will be analysing the regulations relating to ownership in football at both a club and player level and what they mean for the financial growth of football.

The Financial best practice workshops will be kicked off with Crowdfunding specialists Tifosy, led by CEO Fausto Zanetton and co-founder and brand ambassador Gianluca Vialli, who will be outlining how they are revolutionising the way clubs are funded as well as their methods for providing a unique link between clubs and fans that will enable everyone to invest in, and support, the football clubs that they love, in a fair and transparent way.

This will be followed by a panel of experts led by Maples & Calder discussing the current issues of image rights and the way in which they will be structured in football, as well as the risks to safeguard against and opportunities for the future.

The financial best practice workshop will finish with Athena Constantinou, Managing Director of APC Sports Consulting, one of the industry’s leading international sports business and financial advisory firms, looking at why ‘financial literacy’ should be a must for every stakeholder involved in professional sport.

The role of player agents are constantly having more influence in the transfers of top players, which is why the Global Convention will be host to ‘Super Agents’ Jonathan Barnett, agent of Gareth Bale and top US Agent Richard Motzkin, agent of Landon Donovan and Hope Solo, US Women’s soccer player. They will be lifting the lid on the secrets of managing top talent and how they see their industry changing in light of FIFA’s decision to scrap their licensing system.

With the English transfer window total surpassing a record £870million, transfers have become a huge talking point in the world of football. This is why Soccerex have partnered up with Prime Time Sport, producers of the Soccerex 20 Under 21 report, who will deliver their annual guide to the summer dealings of Europe’s biggest clubs. The Soccerex Transfer Review session will provide a detailed and valuable resource for any organisation trying to understand the value of each deal, the trends seen in the market and the impact of player transfers on the success of each team. The session’s panel will consist of expert speakers such as Esteve Calzada, CEO, Prime Time Sport, Louis Saha, Former French international, Gaizka Mendieta, Former Spanish International and Henry Winter, Sports Journalists Association Football Writer of The Year.

The financial and legal content is just part of a market leading conference programme at the Soccerex Global Convention addressing the key commercial, performance and stadia related aspects of football. The above speakers join an impressive and diverse list of expert speakers that already include the likes of Davor Suker, Croatia Football Federation President and UEFA Executive Committee member, Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, Ian Ritchie, Rugby Football Union CEO, Dave Kaval, San Jose Earthquakes President, Martin Glenn, FA CEO and Javier Tebas, LaLiga President.

The Soccerex Global Convention brings together over 3000 of football’s elite over three days of a thought provoking conference programme packed with business insight, alongside a market-leading international exhibition and extensive networking. A programme of social events completes the schedule for what is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading football business event.