FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulates graduates of the 25th FIFA Master

FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulates graduates of the 25th FIFA Master

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has taken part in the graduation ceremony for the 25th edition of the FIFA Master (International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport) in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, emphasising the importance of protecting sport and telling graduates to believe in their dreams. Mr Infantino, the Patron of the 25th edition, handed out the diplomas alongside Professor Denis Oswald, Director of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) and President of the Scientific Committee of the FIFA Master.

After being selected from 500 applicants, the 25 graduates from 23 countries completed modules in humanities, management and law before undertaking a final project during their 12-month educational journey.

“You have to believe in your dreams and if you believe hard, and if you work hard, of course, as well, then these dreams can come true,” said the FIFA President.  “And this is really the only piece of advice I want to give you today, which you should carry close to your heart for the rest of your life because believing in yourself and, of course, always protecting the sport in which we are [situated], is crucial for leading organisations in the future.”

He added: “You have to believe in what you do, you have to protect the game, you have to believe in the values that make our game, make (not only) football but every sport what it is and these values deserve the best leaders.”

The FIFA Master is organised by CIES in partnership with three universities: De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom; SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy; and the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Established in 2000, it was created to promote management education within the sports world and has grown to become a top graduate academic programme developing all-round managers who can cope with the increasingly complex world of sport.

The FIFA Master now has over 700 alumni, representing more than 120 nationalities. Ninety per cent of them are active in the sports industry, including around 350 in football, with 75 working at FIFA. Nearly 240 female students from around the world have graduated and are now working in the global sports industry, such as Olympic rowing gold medallist, Emma Twigg of New Zealand, and UEFA Women’s Champions League Winner, Ami Otaki of Japan.

The FIFA President thanked Professor Oswald: the President of the CIES Council of Foundation, Pierre Cornu; the General Secretary of CIES, Vincent Schatzmann; the official representative of the FIFA Master Alumni Association, Serge Assume Assume; and the three partner universities. FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger also attended the ceremony.

Professor Oswald thanked FIFA for its support for the programme. “I would like to, again, repeat our gratitude, CIES’s gratitude, from all the students who have had the opportunity to participate in this programme during the first 25 years because without this very strong support we have from FIFA, we would not exist and we would not be here today,” he said.