The football match between Telstar and FC Volendam is traditionally referred to as the “Fishermen Derby”. In the early eighties, Manfred Nan scored three times in a row in this derby. A serious injury put an end to his professional career in Dutch football. When he was forced to retire, he was his team's top scorer. Manfred became a lawyer in 1985.
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Manfred handled many high-profile cases as a lawyer in both criminal law and sports law. As an arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, but also at the KNVB as an arbitrator of the Arbitration Committee and as a member of the Professional Football Appeals Committee. Currently, he is still active as a member of the KNVB Professional Football Disciplinary Committee. Manfred also serves as deputy judge of the Court of Overijssel in the Netherlands.
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Manfred is regarded a specialist in international sports law, and has focused in particular on his position as an arbitrator of CAS. CAS is the highest legal body in the field of international sports matters for, among other things, football (FIFA) and all other Olympic sports (IOC). Manfred is also a lecturer in international sports law and regularly gives presentations in this area.

It can be said that his legal knowledge and experience, combined with his experience as a former professional football player, have brought him to the highest echelons of international sports law. The authoritative website Who's Who Legal says the following about him based on market research:

"The “outstanding” Manfred Nan is a “highly recommended CAS arbitrator” who holds a great reputation among peers for his deep international expertise." (2020)

"Manfred Nan is widely regarded as “an excellent sports lawyer” with “deep experience" in sports-related disputes." (2021)

“Manfred Nan is a highly experienced CAS arbitrator who receives plaudits for the breadth of his practice.” (2022)
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Since 2004, Manfred Nan has been appointed as arbitrator in more than 250 CAS cases and, in 2021, he was the first Dutch arbitrator granted the honour of being a member of the CAS Ad-Hoc Division at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.