"LIVING AT THE CENTRE OF THE ACTION"

With the clock ticking on our FIFA Master adventure, the 26 students who are part of the 23rd edition of this amazing academic programme are living the final chapter of this experience to the fullest.    

Since we arrived in Switzerland, which is at the centre of the sporting organization world, reality has hit us. Our future is knocking at our doors. No, wait, it is the other way around. We are knocking on the door of our future!

Having so many global federations and associations around us has made the class more excited and determined to start making a difference in the sports world. We are breathing and living sport now more than ever before.

As part of our Sports Law module studies, we have already visited the headquarters of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), World Archery (WA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and, of course, the home of football itself at FIFA in Zurich. We are particularly grateful for this experience which as a group we will never forget. During our two days of meetings at both the FIFA headquarters and FIFA Museum, we could witness presentations from a set of incredible professionals, some of them alumni from our programme. Undoubtedly, they gave us a source of inspiration for what we can aspire and achieve in our careers.

In addition to all this, we have also had sessions in class with representatives from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), UEFA and the IOC. But there is still more to come in our calendars for which we can’t wait!

So yes, we definitely are at the epicentre of sport administration but this is exactly where we need to be, and we want to be.

We are fully aware, though, that the next chapter of our lives will start immediately after we receive our degree certificates. We are already immersed in the process of applying to the positions which we think best match our career capabilities, and in order to produce those desired changes in the sports world. However, this edition is special (a pinch of subjectivity here, of course), we definitely don’t fear the moment.

Nevertheless, for such big changes in our lives and the path that will take, it is not easy. At the same time as this, we need to balance our Sports Law module requirements at the Université de Neuchâtel, our Final Project work, and, of course, our football matches away from the classroom!

In just two and half months we will have completed our FIFA Master studies. It is unbelievable that we are already at this point, talking every day about our plans after what will be a sad goodbye. It will be a weird day because we don’t want it to happen, but at the same time, we do.

The only certainty we have right now is that the day is coming. The day we take our own paths to impact the world of sports.

David Goldberg (Costa Rica), FIFA Master 23rd edition student.

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).