FIFA Master Alumni – Where are they now? Federico Raviglione

Federico Raviglione

Current Position: Project Officer – President’s Office at the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

Year of graduation: 2012 (12th edition)

Nationality: Italian / American

 

What does your current role involve?

I joined FIFA a year ago, at the beginning of March 2017. Previously, I had worked for over 3 years at the European Club Association (ECA). Prior to this, I had work experience with the Sport Unit of the European Commission and with the now disbanded United Nations Office on Sport and Development. I had also worked for an Italian Basketball Team and with TSE Consulting. All of these different experiences proved to be extremely useful for my current job. In fact, as a member of the President’s Office at FIFA, my duties and responsibilities are extremely wide-ranging and no two days are the same. Flexibility, adaptability, reliability and diplomatic skills are essential to succeed in this position.

For the difficult task of trying to summarise my job, I would say that internally, I mostly act as a link between the FIFA President – and the Chief of Staff – and the FIFA Administration on all kinds of topics. Externally, I am in contact with the 211 FIFA Member Associations, as well as various other FIFA stakeholders, on a variety of subjects that affect, either directly or indirectly, the FIFA President. Overall, it is both a challenging and demanding position, but undoubtedly an extremely interesting and rewarding experience right at the heart of world football.

 

Which aspects of the FIFA Master course have helped you most in your career?

When I started the course I was only 22 years old and, despite the fact I had already completed a Bachelor and a Master degree, it gave me the chance to live and study in three different countries.

Further, although I already had some work experience in the world of sport, I knew I still lacked some sport-specific knowledge. The FIFA Master was the perfect choice in order to bridge that gap.

Throughout the course, not only do you get the opportunity to live and study in three different Universities in Leicester, Milan and Neuchâtel, thereby accumulating new knowledge and experiences every day, but you also get to share unforgettable moments with fellow classmates who have come from all corners of the world. All of this happens in a sport-focussed environment. On a daily basis you talk, study, practice and breathe sport, and this makes the course unique. The mix of academic lectures, field visits, talks from experts in the industry and practical case studies is extremely helpful. However, it is probably the FIFA Master alumni network which, for me, ultimately represents the biggest strength of this programme. We are now a community of over 500 professionals around the world, working in all sectors of the industry. This, I believe, is probably the most helpful asset of the FIFA Master as the course continues to grow!

 

What advice would you give to future students on the course?

Firstly, and most importantly, enjoy the journey and make the most out of it. This academic adventure needs to be lived at full speed! It is a unique and life-changing experience, which cannot be compared to any other academic course. You need to grasp every single moment of it because it goes by so quickly. Also, question yourself every day and be aware that you cannot only rely on the FIFA Master to get you a job. Of course, it can, and will help you ultimately, but only you know what your main strengths are and what makes you unique. It is important, therefore, to have a clear idea in your mind of where you want to go. Be proactive and use the unique experience of the FIFA Master to take you where you want to be in world sport!

 

The FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport is organized by the CIES in partnership with De Montfort University (Leicester, UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel. In 2017 the FIFA Master was ranked as the No.1 course in Europe for the fifth time by the SportBusiness International global rankings.

Discover more examples of inspiring FIFA Master alumni career paths by clicking here.