"FIFA Master" 16th edition - Chapter 2: The Journey continues

The referee indicates to us there is only stoppage time left of the first half - we have clearly enjoyed every second of it, but much more is still to be done. 5 months of the 16th Edition of the FIFA Master has already gone by, and while looking back and enjoying the experiences we have had and the knowledge we have acquired, we must now get ready for the next 6 months ahead.  On January 7th the 32 members of our class were rejoined after being apart for the Christmas Break with our class members spread from the summer of Brazil and Zimbabwe to the winter of Norway and Canada. However, the internet helped us all to enjoy a 16-hour long New Year’s Eve, starting with Tokyo, Japan, and a shared ending between Wyoming and Calgary. We were all set now to start the Sports Management module at SDA Bocconi. This second module, following the Humanities of Sport module in Leicester, would make the central third of our journey; the final third being the Law module in Neuchâtel, which commences in late March, immediately  after a brief Easter break. 

During the first month at SDA Bocconi, we have partaken in submodules on Sport Leadership and Organization with Professor Dino Ruta and Sport Finance with Professor Marco Morelli, with the continued support throughout of Isabella Sala, Module Coordinator.

During Professor Ruta’s submodule, we had the opportunity to understand the unique applications of leadership within the sports industry, besides learning the different structures a sporting organization can adopt. Meanwhile, Prof. Morelli’s submodule enriched our knowledge with tools that now allow us to assess the financial statements of clubs, federations and other organizations in the sports sector, and taking into account the unique specifics of it. Our lessons are very interactive as we work in groups almost on a daily basis, which are then always followed by high-level discussions with faculty members on key sports management challenges. This approach increases the quality of our learning process, which is a priority for the Scientific Directors. This is further demonstrated by the international accreditations and rankings that SDA Bocconi has achieved. It is also a great moment to learn more about ourselves, considering the variety of academic, professional and geographic backgrounds among our colleagues - arguably the most valuable assets of the FIFA Master.

High calibre guest speakers such as “il Capitano”, Javier Zanetti, one of the most influential figures in world football, complemented the theory we have learnt in class. Mr. Zanetti shared with us the values by which he shaped his style of leadership in his career and gave a glimpse of what he hopes to achieve with his new position as FC Inter Vice-President. He also transmitted the importance for him of giving back to society, for example through his Fundación PUPI in Buenos Aires.

After telling us about his leadership characteristics, Zanetti showed us this in practice when, with significant humility and thrive to learn, he took a chair as a class colleague for a day by joining us to visit Vero Volley, located in Monza, near Milan. Presented to us directly by Alessandra Marzari, President of Consorzio Vero Volley, the clearly elaborated strategic planning of the organization was put into practice. In addition, Mrs. Marzari not only gave us a great example of how a club (or in this case a consortium of clubs) can play an important role within the local community and be a reference point for youth development, but also helped us to contextualize the theory we have studied in class into every day practice.

The same must be said about Filippo De Gregorio, Human Resources Director of Dallara, a company of excellence in the competitive Italian motorsports industry. His session illustrated their programme for developing management skills and integration in the organization. This talk was highly instructive for us as we approach the corporate world in future years.

Module guest speakers have also included a team from Inter Campus, led by Nicoletta Flutti, who introduced us to their inspirational programme. This programme supports social-religious-racial equality worldwide, with a specific focus on Children’s Rights, while providing opportunities for children in 29 countries to play football and be part of the Inter Campus family. The campaign for the Right To Play was a beautiful way to remind us all of the lessons we had already learnt during the Humanities of Sport module back at DMU, in Leicester, on  the role of sport in society.

We also had the opportunity to meet an alumnus of the FIFA Master, Alberto Zamboni, who now works for the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). His presentation explained the UEFA licensing system and financial fair play regulations. Not only was the National Association perspective presented to us, but also that of Lega Serie A, which is the league responsible for organizing the three top tier football competitions in Italy (Serie A, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa). For their presentation we had the honour of meeting Marco Brunelli, CEO of the league, and Giovanni Pifarotti, the league’s Head of International Department, in addition to being a UEFA Venue Director and, most importantly, a FIFA Master alumnus as well. To add to this incredible list of guest speakers, we received visits by Ebru Köksal, FIFA Consultant, and Nicholas Gancikoff, from the Sports Investment Group, both of whom added a significant amount of knowledge to our studies in Sport Finance.

As a few of us have a certain interest in sports… Nearly everybody in the class has already been at least once to a match at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro). Here, we have tried to repeat the lucky charm effect of the 16th Edition of the FIFA Master, proven by the success of the Premier League’s frontrunners Leicester City!  Apparently, though, this has only worked with AC Milan, and not FC Inter! This has caused different reactions from members of the faculty, especially after an exciting 3:0 win for the Rossoneri in the Derby della Madonnina. However, we are glad that Leicester City FC has kept up the pace back in England, further enhancing Leicester Module Co-ordinator James Panter’s pride in his team. James, we will be back for the victory parade in May!

Packed with studies and lifelong memories, the Milan part of the FIFA Master adventure continues!

 

Primrose Mhunduru and Ulisses de Almeida Prado Bresciani

Milan Class Representatives