In the business of world soccer today, most clubs have considered their modus operandi to be an institutional business empire that has soccer players as its raw material. Football has become very lucrative globally as such, soccer clubs are cashing in on its positives and the profits it has to offer. Clubs like Juventus, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich are household names in Ghana simply because they thrive on the essential principles outlined in Human Resource Management found in their administrative fold.
In Ghana, Human Resource Management is inconspicuously ignored; it however plays a vital role in the everyday running of a football club and, more importantly, on player recruitment, talent development, career development and club development. Other clubs, though few, are using these Human Resource Management principles very well and are reaping the benefits.
Business Clubs in Ghana; as with every other business institution; has profit making as its core aim of existence. However, the elaborate slogans, mission and vision statements intended to aid the clubs in their daily running can neither be understood nor explained by staff and players. This article seeks to articulate what these clubs must do to get the best players into their folds and to get player management right.
Just as individuals drop curriculum vitae (CV) in search of employment, a footballer’s CV comprises of soccer videos and to a large extent transfer market ratings (www. transfermarkt.com). If a player impresses any soccer management, there is an option for an interview or a trial session. It’s worth noting that some players are bought (poached) directly from other clubs based on the market value and the transfer season at every case in point.
Orientation at this point in time (when a player is newly recruited) becomes an important part of a player’s integration to the club. It provides a sense of belonging, which is beneficial to team spirit.
After being in a team for 6-12 months, onboarding is a critical process that a player needs to go through. At this point, the club needs to assign a player – the captain or any other player – whom the new recruit will understudy in the form of a buddy system in the club. This helps the player feel at home and understand that he is part of a bigger family and must adapt to the culture of the club. “Buddyship” was an important tool used by Real Madrid to integrate Cristiano Ronaldo; through that Marcelo became his best friend.
These processes explained above and many more are very important to the success of players in every team. When done well, the players’ development will be inconceivable.
Human Resource Management in football is important, ignore it and its effect on both players and club would be unprecedented. The belief is that Managers (coaches) of these clubs should in their own capacity have extensive knowledge on the working principles of the Human Resource discipline in order to run the soccer clubs effectively and efficiently.
Soccer Human Resource Management, if taken seriously, will be the turning point for football in Ghana.
by: Kwame Gyan
