FIFA WORLD CUP WINNER AND ARSENAL FC ‘INVINCIBLE’ GILBERTO SILVA NAMED AS THE FIFA MASTER 23RD EDITION CLASS PATRON

The FIFA Master 23^rd edition class were joined at the Château de Neuchâtel graduation ceremony by their Class Patron – Brazil FIFA World Cup Winner and Arsenal FC ‘Invincible’, Mr Gilberto Silva.

Gilberto is a true legend of the beautiful game, a footballing icon, and an inspiration to many around the world. His journey is one that epitomises passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. From his humble beginnings on the streets of Lagoa da Prata, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, to the grand stages of some of the world's most renowned football clubs, Gilberto has left an indelible mark on the sport that continues to reverberate to this day.

Giklberto was a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, in Korea and Japan - the only team to ever win all 7 games in the tournament. In addition to the 2002 World Cup, he also played in Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010. He won the Confederations Cup in 2005 and 2009, and was the captain of the Brazilian team who won the Copa America in 2007.

During an inspirational speech, Gilberto spoke about the sacrifices and dedication he had needed in the early part of his career. This was an important platform for what would later happen at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan where he had been expected to play a small part in the tournament. However, an injury to the Brazilian team captain, Emerson, during training just before the first World Cup game, he was informed by the coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, that he would be the replacement to play in midfield. Gilberto would go on to play in every minute of every match of the tournament, which Brazil went on to win. In the words of the weekly Brazilian news magazine Veja, Gilberto, "carried the piano for Ronaldo and Rivaldo to play their tunes on". It was these performances which led to him being classed as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world. He would go on to make 98 appearances for the national team and on 1 June 2007 he captained Brazil against England for the first senior international match to be played at the new Wembley Stadium in London.

Gilberto was also a member of the iconic Arsenal FC ‘Invincibles’ team. Managed by Arsène Wenger (now FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development) during the 2003-2004 Premier League season the team went unbeaten, recording 26 wins and 12 draws. He also has the distinction of scoring the first goal at Arsenal’s new home Emirates Stadium home. In total he made 170 appearances for the club.

In a glittering career, Gilberto would earn the nickname, “The Invisible Wall”, as his style of play – which sometimes went unnoticed, was highly tactical and efficient in providing defensive cover to allow other players in the team to perform. Gilberto also displayed great leadership in the teams which he represented. 

Since his retirement from the game, Gilberto has built a career as a sports director and also managed the careers of various professional football players. He is an ambassador for FIFA and Arsenal, and 2 years ago he teamed up with a high performance and mental training coach and a two-time Olympic Champion to launch a company focused on mental training for the sports world. Additionally, he’s an investor in the tech start-up space.

Thank you, Gilberto, for your support and motivational words for the FIFA Master 23^rd edition graduating class. It was a pleasure and honour to welcome you to the ceremony and celebrations with our students.

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked No.1 Course in Europe 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 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).