FIFA Master 24th Edition (almost) cleared for landing…

Slowly yet inevitably, the days come and go as we enter the final approach and prepare to touchdown.

The month of May delivered some highly anticipated milestones for the FIFA Master with the same excitement we’ve had since day one, but with a heightened desire to seize, squeeze and capture every moment as we know they mostly represent the “lasts” of the course.

The last month of class. Undoubtedly the core of our schedule, our year and our FIFA Master experience. Perhaps at times overlooked by the thrill of field visits, or out-of-class activities, the classroom became the communal gathering room where every morning you were welcomed with smiles, handshakes, and a couple of mispronounced “Buongiorno’s” or “Bonjour’s”. Whether through lectures, group work or the daily coffee breaks, the classroom has been the silent hero of bringing us together every day.

The last professional football game (as a group). Thanks to an invitation from Neuchatel Xamax CEO Tiziano Sorrenti, we attended the home match vs. FC Vaduz and concluded with an invitation to the stadium’s VIP Hospitality section. From the English Championship, to Italian Serie A, and finishing off with the Swiss Challenge League, football stadiums have been the temple of experience for all of us who always wondered what European football fully entailed. 

The last Kahoot. Our experience in Neuchâtel would have never been the same without the presence and support of our Module Coordinator, Marcin Radziwonka. For those of us without a Sports Law background, the material of the lectures in Neuchâtel was at times challenging and Marcin not only made himself available personally to help us but would organize a daily recap quiz on Kahoot which unquestionably marked our time here.

But May was not about “lasts”, but about “lasting.” Like the lasting friendships we have formed since our football match vs the AISTS programme in Lausanne, or the lasting memories and impressions from our incredible visits to UEFA, the IOC and the Olympic Museum.

Yes, we focus now on the final part of our studies, the Final Project, and the final exams but we do not stand still waiting for the industry to come to us. Members of the 24th edition were present at UEFA’s Business Case for Women’s Football in Bilbao, Soccerex Europe in Amsterdam and even the Champions League Final in London.

Caught between the thrill of possibility and the weight of uncertainty, we look towards each other in the hope of making sure when it’s all said and done, we know we didn’t waste a minute of what this incredible voyage has been.

Philip Black

FIFA Master 24th edition student

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked  Europe's No.1 course a record 11 times by SportBusiness.

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