FIFA MASTER ALUMNI - WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - MATTEO TASSI

Matteo Tassi

Current Position: Head of Executive Education at CIES

Year of graduation: 2013 (13th edition)

Nationality: Italian

What does your current role involve?

I am the Head of Executive Education at CIES. I joined the organisation in 2018 and in four years we have designed and delivered educational and capacity-building programmes for more than 300 sports executives across the world. We worked with various divisions at FIFA and in parallel we built some CIES original programmes, such as the Intrapreneurship for the Sports Industry course. Most recently, we launched The Next 90, a programme for former professional football players who want to design their second career outside the pitch.

I am extremely proud of what we have achieved. The sports industry is constantly evolving and sports professionals need to be empowered so that they can foresee opportunities, drive change and create innovation. This is what we stand for. We always strive to adapt the design of our programmes to the real needs of participants who remain our primary focus.

As a sports lover, I consider designing and implementing learning programmes as a way I can serve the sports community.  

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

The FIFA Master gave me a competitive advantage to successfully navigate the sports industry. I can only be grateful for it. Each day of studies was a fresh learning opportunity, be that a lecture, a field visit to a sports organisation or an overnight discussion with classmates.

The course taught me the complexity of the sports landscape and that is where its main value lies. The FIFA Master is a toolbox that I carry with me every day for I know that I can always find the tool or the concept that I seek. And when I cannot find it, I can count on the community of alumni for support. Priceless!  

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

My advice is to hold your assumptions and intuitions loosely and critically challenge them. Be willing to change your mind and leave your comfort zone on a daily basis. For 10 months, you will be exposed to all sorts of inputs from teachers, lecturers and classmates. Consider each of them with humility, curiosity and a beginner’s attitude.

Also, be bold and ambitious. Do not accept the status quo, instead try to imagine and design alternative paths for the future. The sports industry will require disruptors and innovators. Be ready to become one.

But most importantly, avoid focusing only on the final objective and devote your full attention to the journey. Don’t go through the FIFA Master only to follow your dreams. Live the FIFA Master to forge your dreams.

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked No.1 Course in Europe 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 by the SportBusiness International global rankings.

Organised by CIES in partnership with De Montfort University (United Kingdom), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).