ENJOYING MILAN!

As the students of the 23rd edition of the FIFA Master complete their first month of the Sport Management module at SDA Bocconi School of Management, here they reflect on what January in Milan has been like.

As we approach the mid-term mark, the pace picks up and time management becomes ever more important as we navigate the module’s teaching content, assessment deadlines, and work on our Final Projects, without forgetting to have some fun along the way too.

Over the last four weeks at SDA Bocconi’s modern facilities, as a class we have developed our understanding of the foundations which underpin the field of Sport Management. This includes the financial elements which have become so essential in running sports organizations, and the various marketing components surrounding the industry.

As usual for the FIFA Master, we have learnt a great deal from guest lecturers who have given us valuable insights on the impact of broadcasting and sponsorship deals for the industry, the work of players’ associations like the NBPA, and the role of experts in sports data analysis such as Stats Perform and the CIES Football Observatory. 

Having two former athletes join us in class – in the form of Inter Milan legend and now club vice-president, Javier Zanetti, and former NBA player, Damjan Rudež, has got to be a highlight of this month, without a doubt! Just listening to their personal stories was not only inspirational, but also enlightening as to what the sports industry looks like from the perspective of those working hard and performing ‘on-stage’.  

The field visit to the home of VeroVolley in Monza gave us the chance to see from the inside the work of a sports organization that takes its values seriously, and in a sport such as volleyball which is big in Italy, and wants to keep growing. Some of us had the chance to attend a live match too and were impressed by the players’ athleticism and the crowd atmosphere. 

Watching some live ‘calcio’ has of course been a part of this month too, and we were privileged to attend as a class the Inter Milan v Parma game in the Italian Cup. We were especially thrilled about the fact that we were seeing legend Gianluigi Buffon in goal, playing just a couple of weeks before turning 45 years old (!). The script for the match got even more exciting as the Serie B underdogs took a lead with a superb goal from outside the box before half-time. The second half was full of tension, with Inter finally equalizing in the 88th minute and eventually taking the game in overtime and qualifying for the next round.

Our class also had the chance of tasting some action themselves by taking part in a very well-organized futsal tournament at the Bocconi Sport Center along with Faculty MBA students. Congratulations go to team Okenna, Renae (elected MVP of the tournament), Jai (who put his own physical integrity on the line for the team), Mateo and Amobi for their victory!

Mateo Peyrouzet García-Siñeriz (Spain/France), FIFA Master 23rd edition student