Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Technical Director Anton Corneal is one of a select group of technical leaders from across the globe to graduate from the first edition of FIFA’s Technical Leadership Diploma.
Corneal attended the final block of the 18 month-long course which concluded with a series of assessment presentations and a graduation ceremony at the FIFA museum in Zurich from December 5-6.
Since starting the programme last May, Corneal has visited Brazil, Japan, the Netherlands and Switzerland as part of the Diploma, which aims to become the ‘globally recognized qualification’ for Technical Leaders working in the game.
“This transformative experience has not only enriched my knowledge and leadership skills, but also deepened my understanding of critical values that drive excellence in sport and life.” Corneal told TTFA media.
“Anton’s achievement in completing the first-ever FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma is a milestone for Trinidad and Tobago football,” said TTFA President Kieron Edwards.
“It is not solely a personal achievement reflecting his dedication but also our nation’s commitment to raising the bar in football education and development,” he added.
FIFA Director of Global Development, Steven Martens, also offered congratulations to Corneal.
“Many congratulations to Anton for graduating from the first ever edition of the FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma,” he said.
“The future of global football requires expert leaders across the world and we believe this qualification will help us achieve that aim. We are excited to see how each graduate from the Diploma will help shape and influence the future of football in the years to come,” he added.
Edition one of the FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma was attended by Technical Leaders from Member Associations, Confederations and FIFA and was described as a “transformational experience” by FIFA Head of Technical Leadership, Jamia Houchen.
“The effort, energy, insight and camaraderie each participant has brought to the Diploma has ensured the past 18 months have been a transformational experience for everyone involved,” explains Houchen.
“The FIFA Technical Leadership Diploma is the first qualification of its kind and we truly believe it will play a huge role in the leadership of football around the world in the future–the first cohort of graduates are now equipped with the skills and competencies to lead the way in this area.”