Busy FIFA Master 19th Edition Humanities of Sport Module Enters Final Few Weeks of Term

The 19th Edition of the FIFA Master is now only two weeks away from finishing the Humanities of Sport module at the International Centre for Sports History and Culture in Leicester, and it has been a wonderful voyage. Now, we are getting ready for a well-deserved break, and spending the holidays with our families and friends before starting the next Management of Sport module at SDA Bocconi in Milan.

The second half of the Humanities of Sport module has allowed us to study various new topics which have been added to the teaching programme this year. Specifically, this has included new sub-modules for 2018 on Equality and Inclusion, Human Rights, Sport and Development, e-Sports and a bigger focus on Women’s Sport. This has allowed us to meet and learn from guest industry speakers representing organisations such as FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the Women's Super League (WSL) and FC Barcelona Foundation, to name just a few. It is incredible to see the FIFA Master constantly update itself by incorporating these subjects into its curriculum, with the objective of bringing a more comprehensive approach to the world of sport.

The 19th Edition have also had the opportunity to participate in several networking events over the past few weeks. One of these was organised by De Montfort University’s Alumni Office at Leicester Tigers Rugby ground to further develop links between the FIFA Master course and wider university alumni association. The 19th Edition would like to take this opportunity to thank both organizations for hosting the class; it was a brilliant event.

The Humanities of Sport module also saw a considerable amount of football played by the class, with two crucial matches taking place in November. The first was between the FIFA Master and the University of Liverpool Football Industries’ MBA. This match is contested annually between both programmes, and this year the FIFA Master class acted as hosts to Liverpool. After 85 minutes of play, the score was tied at 1-1. Then, 24-year-old Pole, Michal Roniek, rose like a phoenix, threw himself in the air, and scored probably one of the best goals the FIFA Master has seen - a spectacular thrilling tijera that ended up in the upper right-hand corner of the goal. The 19th Edition claimed the title and extended the streak of victories over Liverpool!

The second game that took place was the well-known and long-revered James Panter Cup. This match, named after our module co-ordinator James Panter, who is also an Honorary Member of the FIFA Master Alumni Association (FMA), is played between the class with teams representing Europe and the Rest of the World. It was definitely a tough contest for both sides, with Julian Smith, Giny Oh, Arthur Loye, Andy Kang, Alyssa Lagonia (Rest of the World Captain) and Silvan Haenni all scoring high quality goals! However, Europe eventually finished as champions with a final score of 4-3, and received the Cup from James, who witnessed the exciting match. After the game, both teams enjoyed their well-deserved post-match Pizza!

The class have also been fortunate to attend two Leicester City FC games during the term. One of the most emotional took place on 10th November and was the first home match for the Foxes after the terrible accident in which Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha had tragically passed away. The energy and emotion displayed by both the team and the fans inside the stadium before kick-off were unparalleled. The FIFA Master class feel privileged to have been able to attend such an important match in the history of the club. At the end of November, we also attended the League Cup game between Leicester City and Southampton. In what was a tight match, and thanks to some help from the video assistant referee (VAR) system which is used in the EFL Cup competition, Leicester eventually beat Southampton on penalties, with Foxes fan James Panter proudly celebrating the win with us! Also, during the module many of us were also able to attend our first ever rugby union match as we watched Leicester Tigers v. Scarlets in the European Champions Cup, which was another great evening of sport.

The Humanities of Sport module has been a great start to our academic journey. The class is now excited about what is to come next and is looking forward to the remaining two modules. As we begin to think about leaving England we would like to thank all the Professors and lecturers who took part in the Humanities of Sport module in Leicester, particularly Martin Polley, Pierre Lanfranchi and James Panter. Without you, the FIFA Master wouldn’t be possible!

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked No.1 Course in Europe 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 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).

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