When people think of football clubs, they think of stadiums, matchdays, and transfer windows. But clubs have the potential to be something more — educational institutions. Not just in terms of football development, but in developing people.

FC Como Women’s BEYOND initiative is a case in point.

Launched last month, BEYOND is a program that recognises that players aren’t just footballers; they’re human beings with futures that stretch far beyond 90 minutes on a Saturday.

The initiative equips players with skills for life during and after football, rewriting the playbook for how clubs approach player welfare, brand building, and commercial strategy.

Football clubs have long viewed players as assets to train, improve, and sell. Traditionally, development has focused on physical and tactical growth. But what happens when the boots come off? For male players, it’s easy to assume career earnings will sustain them for life. But for most female players — and many male players outside the elite tiers — that assumption doesn’t hold up.

If clubs don’t help them prepare for that next step, who will?

Historically, responsibility for ‘life after sport’ has fallen on players themselves — or on luck. But FC Como Women is showing that there’s another way. BEYOND provides players with access to speakers and experts on topics not typically covered at a training ground: career development, financial education, fertility, and personal branding.

Some questioned whether it would distract players from football. Mirandola recalls being asked, ‘Why would you divert players' attention away from football?’ Her response: it’s not a distraction — it’s structure. BEYOND gives players purpose during downtime, which in turn leads to better on-pitch performance.

BEYOND isn’t just about helping players — it’s also a brand asset. It tells sponsors, fans, and potential recruits that the club stands for something more than just winning matches. This isn’t a team that only cares about trophies, it’s a club that cares about people.

Education can also be a recruitment tool. Players want to play for clubs that look after them. Parents of youth players — especially in academies — want to see their children developed as whole people, not just as footballers. In the same way that companies attract talent by offering well-being benefits, clubs can attract players with holistic development.

It’s a commercial opportunity too. Brands want to be associated with meaningful change. As Mirandola cited on the podcast, 33% of women surveyed by Visa said they follow women's football clubs because they want to support other women. Companies that support gender equality, personal development, or workforce transition will be drawn to initiatives like BEYOND.

The club's strategy revolves around working with companies that share its values. Take Casati Flock, the club’s back of shirt sponsor. It’s a female-led company that transitioned from male-dominated leadership to full female control. BEYOND extends this value proposition, offering brands a platform to engage with a powerful message.

Imagine a club that doesn’t just feature sponsor logos but partners with brands to deliver life skills workshops for players and local communities. It’s a compelling proposition.

It’s particularly interesting to also consider how Mercury/13, the investment group backing FC Como Women, could scale this model across a broader portfolio of clubs in the future...

So, if the benefits are so clear, why aren’t more clubs doing similar?

The most common argument is cost. But educational initiatives don’t need to require massive investment. BEYOND doesn't have full-time staff running sessions. Instead, it brings in guest speakers and partners.

Guest lectures, online courses, and modular learning could be a scalable, cost-effective solution more broadly.

Another perceived obstacle is the ‘football first’ mentality. But downtime exists whether clubs like it or not. Players aren’t in tactical meetings 24/7. Without structure, that downtime gets filled with scrolling, gaming, or golfing.

The key shift clubs must make is to stop seeing education as a cost and recognise it as an investment. It improves player welfare, strengthens recruitment, builds brand equity, and attracts sponsors.

Right now, education in football is the exception, not the rule. But what if it became the norm? BEYOND doesn’t have to be unique. It could be the start of something much bigger.