Who Really Makes the Transfer Decision?
Organized by FootEx, Powered by Comparisonator and Supported by The Book of Scouting, Football Conference Istanbul will take place on 26–27 September 2026 at Fairmont Quasar Istanbul | Luna Ballroom, bringing together leading professionals from across international football for two days of discussions around scouting, recruitment, transfers, sporting management, data and artificial intelligence.
Under the theme BEYOND 90 MINUTES, the conference will explore the decisions and structures that shape football away from the pitch, with club executives, sporting directors, recruitment specialists and football professionals sharing perspectives from inside the professional game.
Transfers may be visible to supporters through announcements, negotiations and deadlines, but the decision behind a signing can involve many different people inside a football organisation.
Who Really Makes the Transfer Decision?
26 September | 15:15–16:00 | Session 4
Scouts may identify the player. Recruitment departments may analyse the profile. Coaches may assess tactical suitability. Sporting executives consider squad planning, while ownership and club leadership must also evaluate financial and strategic implications. But when all these perspectives come together, who ultimately decides whether a club moves forward?
How should responsibilities be divided between ownership, sporting leadership, recruitment departments and coaching staff? How much influence should each department have? And what happens when different decision-makers inside the same club disagree about a player?
These questions are at the centre of one of football’s most important processes. This session brings together perspectives from technical leadership, club ownership and football intelligence to explore how transfer decisions are really made inside professional football organisations.
Les Reed — Former 1st Vice-Chairman of the UEFA Development & Technical Assistance Committee
Les Reed is one of the United Kingdom’s most experienced football executives, with a career spanning technical leadership, coaching, recruitment and player development. He previously served as Technical Director of The English FA and Vice Chairman of Southampton, where he was involved in the club’s football strategy, recruitment and player-development structure. Reed also served as 1st Vice-Chairman of UEFA’s Development and Technical Assistance Committee. He is a contributor to The Book of Scouting – Volume One, sharing his experience of building football organisations and recruitment structures.
Işıtan Gün — Chairman, Panachaiki FC
Işıtan Gün is an experienced football executive, investor and club chairman with extensive involvement in European professional football. He previously served as Chairman of Fortuna Sittard and is currently Chairman of Panachaiki FC. His experience brings an ownership and executive perspective on recruitment, sporting strategy, financial sustainability and long-term football management. Gün is also a contributor to The Book of Scouting – Volume One, bringing his perspective on data, context and strategic thinking in football decision-making.
Moderated by Didem Dilmen
The session will be moderated by Didem Dilmen — Communications Director at Comparisonator and Women’s Football Specialist. Through her work at Comparisonator, Dilmen works with clubs, executives, scouts and football organisations across international markets, with a particular focus on communicating football intelligence to professional decision-makers. She also has a strong focus on women’s football and the growing role of professional scouting, data and technology within the women’s game.
Together, the panel will examine how different voices inside a football club contribute to one of its most important decisions: whether or not to sign a player. Because identifying the right player is only part of the process.
The final decision depends on how sporting, technical, financial and strategic perspectives come together. So, who really makes the transfer decision?
Football Conference Istanbul by FootEx
26–27 September 2026
Fairmont Quasar Istanbul | Luna Ballroom
BEYOND 90 MINUTES
