20 years of sports studies

“The legs of a 20-year-old are made to travel the world,” wrote the French poet Christian Bobin.

The same can be said of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), which was founded 20 years ago in Switzerland.

The scientific institution welcomed the world to the shores of Lake Neuchatel on Saturday as it celebrated its 20th anniversary. Founded in 1995 by FIFA and the Canton, City and University of Neuchatel, CIES has brought its expertise and experience to bear for the last two decades in serving the world of sport.

“I would like to congratulate CIES for its 20 years of unstinting service to international sport," wrote FIFA President Blatter in a recent issue of the FIFA Weekly. "The founding of CIES gave sport and football in particular the opportunity to earn its academic spurs.

“FIFA is proud of how CIES has evolved and wishes to thank the other founding members, namely the Canton, City and University of Neuchatel, for having put their faith in a pioneering project for the creation of a sports study centre in 1995. This was the fundamental idea when we launched the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES)… exactly 20 years ago."

“We are generating the human resources and guaranteeing the expertise required to give football an organisational, administrative and logistical foundation for the future. The FIFA Master… reflects the educational power of our sport. Whatever applies on the pitch must also apply beyond the touchline – in families, communities and educational institutions.”

Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach that encompasses law, sociology, geography, economics and history, CIES has been providing research, education and consulting services to the wider sports community since its creation. In that time, Joseph S. Blatter has, understandably, been one of its most active founders and was only too pleased to attend the anniversary ceremony.

“Thanks to this unique partnership, over the last two decades CIES has implemented a number of research and training projects in the field of sport and in football in particular, the impact of which is recognised around the world,” commented the FIFA President, who watched the festivities from the front row and was joined at the event by CIES colleagues past and present, leading political figures and sports personalities and by friends of CIES.

President Blatter concluded his speech saying, “I call on everyone to come together in five years time to celebrate 25 years of CIES.”