FIFA Master: Highlights of our stay in Milan

Oleksandr Kucheryavy, graduate of the FIFA/CIES Sports Management Programme at the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, was the recipient of the first scholarship awarded by the FIFA International University Network in 2012. He spoke to us about his experiences and impressions of the FIFA Master Programme.

Several weeks ago we completed our three-month residency at the SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan) where we were able to enhance our knowledge and develop our abilities in the areas of finance, leadership, marketing, planning and event management. It goes without saying that we have very fond memories of our time both inside and outside the classroom... notably our visits to prestigious sporting organisations.

The opportunity to take part in courses at the best management school in Italy was an amazing and unprecedented experience for our group of 30 students. Some of us already had previous professional experience in the field of sports business administration in international organisations and companies. Nevertheless, one great advantage of the module presented by the SDA Bocconi School of Management was that it was conceived in such a way that each and every student was able to deepen his/her knowledge, discover new business practices, and find inspiration in new ideas that will be extremely valuable for his/her future careers.

The courses are not limited only to the academic side of management, participating in group projects or… taking examinations. We also had the opportunity to visit the most important sports-related organisations in Italy, and to actively exchange ideas with their representatives. The list is quite impressive: Inter FC, AC Milan, International Tennis Federation (ITF), Major League Soccer (MLS), IMG, Juventus, Sky, Ferrari, Vero Volley, Lega Calcio, Interbrand, RCS Sport, Opta, EXPO Milan, AEG and Infront. Suffice to say that on a personal level, each of us benefited greatly from the discussions during meetings with these professionals, and we are convinced that we can put this knowledge to good use in mid and long-term projects.

Our stay in Milan also helped us to more fully understand the importance of two specific aspects of the FIFA Master, which were brought to our attention by the professors and many former students.

The first aspect is the length of time needed to earn a FIFA Master. When we first submitted our applications for this programme the nearly one year of studies seemed like a very long time… Eleven months represented a large chunk of our lives. In reality, however, time simply flew by because of the intense nature of the scholastic programme, the diversity and cultural opportunities that we experienced after having changed universities and countries three times, in addition to the positive competitive spirit within our group of carefully chosen students with so many common interests. It was all over too soon. Several months ago we started courses at Leicester, and today, the Scientific Committee is finalising the selection of students who will have the good fortune and the pleasure of participating in the next edition of the best sports management programme in Europe! Yes, time really does have wings….

The second aspect touches on the enormous added value that the “ FIFA Master " network provides, its vision and international dimensions. Students are immersed in the world of sports on a daily basis and are given direct access to different kinds of sports and businesses. They are exposed to all the related fields and learn to understand the realities of different countries. Taken together, the guest speakers, the official and informal debates, the exchanges of views with participants in other sports management programmes, the dinners, the football matches between colleagues - all this contributed significantly to enriching of our lives.

In concrete terms, the world of sports is welcoming FIFA Masters students with open arms. After just twelve years, a network of former students now extends right across the continents. Alumni are active in numerous bodies, organisations and premier sports companies, whether in international organisations, national federations, clubs, or private companies.

Just three months to go now until we present our final projects and take part in the graduation ceremony … In July, the latest batch of graduates of the FIFA Masters programme will go out into the world to face their personal and professional challenges. But they will never lose sight of one common objective: to further strengthen the FIFA Master family in a spirit of friendship and excellence, and all for the greater good of sports.