The FIFA Master is a unique 10-month sport (and not solely football...) Master programme, initiated by FIFA, coordinated by CIES, and taught by three prestigious European universities: De Montfort University (Leicester, UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, IT) and Neuchatel University (Neuchatel, CH), in association with the Università della Svizzera italiana.
What is your current professional activity and your involvement in sport?
I am working in an Argentinean Sports Marketing Company called “Passion Unlimited” and I’m in charge of several Sport Business projects that we are involved in. Additionally, I have a passionate interest in all kinds of sport but am extremely occupied with - and currently practicing - football (soccer), tennis and golf.
Why did you choose to attend the FIFA/CIES Sports Management Program at the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA)?
Because I was about to enter in this new job whereby I was going to be constantly working with professional athletes and I believed that the FIFA/CIES Sports Management Program would give me very useful skills and the knowledge to interact with them.
What were your expectations before the start of the course? And were they met?
In a few words: I was expecting to enjoy each class and to learn from it; to analyze the theory of the different matters that might be encountered in any sport; to understand from experienced people how to organize a sport event and how to solve any problem that might arise. I’m glad to say that each of these expectations was outreached by far. Especially by those classes where we listened to the main actors of this industry, such as journalists, team officials, event organizers, etc…
What would you say are the key strengths of the FIFA/CIES Sport Management Program?
As I said before, I think one of the key strengths is the high level of each class making a good blend between theory and practical analysis on the matter.
What benefits (on a personal and/or professional level) did you gain from attending the course?
It was a very good opportunity to meet new people and establish professional contact. Moreover, it was very useful to clarify and anticipate the different problems or unexpected situations that could occur when one is organizing a sport event.
What is your best memory/highlight of the course?
I consider as a highlight the active role that the students have in this program, including instances such as class participation, discussions and the final exposé, just to mention a few.
Would you recommend the FIFA/CIES Sports Management Program? Why?
Yes, of course. Actually I would recommend it to all my friends and contacts that are somehow related to the sports industry or that would like to participate in it.
CIES (International Centre for Sports Studies), located in Neuchatel, is a private Swiss foundation, affiliated with the University of Neuchatel and created in 1995 by FIFA (under the impetus of its current president, Mr. Joseph S. Blatter), the University of Neuchatel, and the City and Canton of Neuchatel.
CIES specialises in three specific domains: law, sociology and economy of sport, with a view to bring together the sporting and the academic worlds. Privileging a pluri-disciplinary approach, CIES provides a wide range of research, education and consultancy services.