About the “FIFA Master”

We are delighted to welcome you to the 8th edition of the “FIFA Master” and to share with you our latest news. After the first seven years during which our course was continuously improved and modified, we may consider that it has become a major contribution to the management of sport in the world.

As you may know, we decided a couple of years ago to promote the name we have been using internally for the course since it was launched in October 2000: the “FIFA Master”. This short and catchy name is now used in all communications and marketing documentation, along with the official title: International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport. We stress, however, that while the name “FIFA” appears in this title, the course has always been, and will remain, very much a course covering sports in general and not just football. This brand name just confirms the close links, which have been in existence for over ten years between FIFA and the CIES, and suitably reflects the ever-increasing dedication and support provided by FIFA to sports education generally, and specifically to this course.

We have always said that this course was created to train all-round managers who could cope with the increasingly complex world of sport. Now, seven years on, we are in a strong position to evaluate the results achieved by more than 150 graduates (and over 60 nationalities) to date and, consequently, the impact of our course on sport across the continents. It is with a great sense of pride that we pay tribute to the Alumni, most of whom are now doing exactly what we had hoped and intended: working in key roles at leading sports companies, associations and clubs, and actively helping to improve the world of sport.

We had recently, in Germany, the confirmation of the dynamic nature of the Alumni Association, founded in 2003. For the first time, a General Assembly was organised in Munich, which more than two-thirds of the former and present students, coming from all five continents, attended. This was an occasion to witness the profound attachment the former students have for their “Master”. We discovered that all the Alumni members, whatever edition, knew the situation and employment status of their colleagues, and were ready also to help the newcomers. This close contact between former students and the course has now taken the form of an official presence on the FIFA Master Executive Board of an Alumni representative who is presenting, from their first-hand experience, positive proposals to the Management of the course.

This welcome would not be complete without a word about our three partner universities: De Montfort University, Leicester (United Kingdom), SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milan (Italy) and the Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (Switzerland). Their expertise, and that of the specialised guest speakers they invite to teach, makes for a truly special course, one that combines high level academic teaching with practical examples from the real world. We should like to take this opportunity to thank the universities, and the more than 100 teachers in the course, without whom the Master would not be possible.

And so we invite you to read on and learn more about the International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport: the “FIFA Master”.

Mr Jean-Louis Juvet
FIFA President

Mr Joseph S. Blatter
CIES President


CIES – Centre International d'Etude du Sport, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

The International Center for Sport Studies, a foundation established in accordance with articles 80 and prox of the Swiss Civil Code, was created in 1995. FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the Université de Neuchâtel, the Town and Canton of Neuchâtel are the founding members. Affiliated to the Université de Neuchâtel, the CIES is based at the Palais DuPeyrou, in Neuchâtel.

The CIES is specialised in three specific sports areas: law, sociology and economy. Within these fields, and through a multi disciplinary approach, the CIES aims to organise training courses and to provide teaching, research and services.

Mr. Joseph S. Blatter, the current FIFA President, was the driving force in the creation of the CIES, as he had wished, for a long time, to see the sporting and the academic worlds more closely linked.

The CIES acts as the overall administrative coordinating body for the FIFA Master - International Master (MA) in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, and also ensures the local coordination in Neuchâtel for the Law module.


The Partner Universities

The three partner universities - De Monfort University, Leicester (UK), SDA Bocconi-School of Management, Milan (IT) and Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (CH) - are fully responsible for the academic content of the course. They each have developed their own module, and they are accountable for the high standards of teaching set up for this master programme.

Many other highly qualified experts are associated with the programme and contribute to the FIFA Master curriculum. These experts include professors from other major universities, and specialised professionals and practitioners from sports clubs, multinational sports companies and federations, major sports events, sports marketing companies, and public authorities whom the postgraduates either meet in the classroom or in the field during the many practical study visits.

1. De Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom

De Montfort University is a dynamic organisation, formed from a diverse range of specialist institutions. Its long history of excellent teaching, learning and research is founded in the technical and trade education of the late 19th Century. The name itself is associated with Simon De Montfort, Earl of Leicester, a distinguished figure in English history and widely credited with establishing the first parliament in 1265.

Prior to 1992, De Montfort University was known as Leicester Polytechnic which was created in 1969 through the amalgamation of Leicester College of Technology and Leicester College of Art. The polytechnic was established as a corporation in 1989.

In 1992, following the official opening of the Milton Keynes campus by HM the Queen, De Montfort University was born. Mergers took place with Bedford College of Higher Education, Lincolnshire College of Art and Design and Lincolnshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture in 1994. In 1995, the University merged with Charles Frears College of Nursing and Midwifery. Since then extensive international links have led to collaborative partnerships across the globe.

Today, De Montfort University is one of the largest universities in the UK with over 23,000 students at its two centres in Leicester and Bedford, and special arrangements with more than 60 universities and colleges in 40 countries.

The International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC) was established at De Montfort University in 1996. It is the leading Centre for the study of sports history in the world and has the foremost historians in the field on its staff.

2. SDA BOCCONI-School of Management, Milan, Italy

SDA Bocconi's School of Management is designed to optimize resources following the canons that drive successful businesses everywhere. In designing new offerings we encourage the fast, flexible and creative interaction of these canons by unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit of our faculty. The knowledge they impart and the imagination they bring to their efforts in turn enables individuals and organizations to improve their management culture, to more efficiently oversee resources, and to inspire the full potential of each employee. Our education involves both the exploration of theoretical models and the day-to-day reality of running a successful enterprise, and we instil in our students skills, knowledge and tools they can use every day when facing the challenges of an evolving marketplace.

Five Divisions are responsible for the various market areas. They work with the Departments to update open enrollment programs and to develop new products according to demand. Since companies often require multi disciplinary courses drawing from more than one Department, Project Groups follow the evolution of demand for education on particular issues.

This flexible system of widespread entrepreneurship means that the SDA Bocconi School of Management can respond quickly with custom executive programs that complement an already extensive portfolio of educational products. Companies, institutions and individuals who come to us find we are passionately committed to inspiring the professional and personal growth of each and every student.

3. Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

The Université de Neuchâtel, set in the lovely town of the same name, was created in 1838 under the name of “Académie de Neuchâtel”. It is composed of five faculties: Humanities, Sciences, Law, Economic and Social Sciences and Theology.

The Law Faculty has an extremely strong reputation within Switzerland, for the quality of its staff and of its learning methods, as well as for its high “professor / students” ratio (20 professors for approximately 450 students) and the extensive use of external experts during the lectures and seminars. The Law Faculty is also very active in the field of legal research, with many associated institutes and research centres.