51Âþ»­

Students from as far afield as Australia, Mexico, Libya, Japan and Kenya have arrived at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) to start studying the prestigious FIFA Master course.

The one-year course, which is co-ordinated by the Centre International d’Etude du Sport (CIES) and supported by football’s world governing body FIFA, involves students dedicating a term of study at 51Âþ»­’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC) before also spending a term at both the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy, and Switzerland’s University of Neuchâtel.

This year’s cohort of students come from a range of disciplines and include international football players as well as communications specialists, including the head of the Australian Matilda’s social media team as they hosted the Women’s World Cup during the summer.

The FIFA Master is regarded as one of the world’s best sports management courses.

Last year it was named by Sports Business International as Europe’s top ranked postgraduate sports management course for a record tenth time.

Co-Scientific Director Prof. Martin Polley, said, “This Postgraduate course is unlike any other due to its mix of Humanities, Management, and Law. By the end of their studies here in Leicester our aim is to ensure that the class not only has a much deeper understanding of modern sport from a historical perspective, but also its wide-ranging cultural significance to modern society too.”

Fellow Co-Scientific Director, Dr Heather Dichter added, “The official welcome is always an exciting event for the FIFA Master students as our colleagues from CIES, SDA Bocconi and University of Neuchatel are able to meet the class for the first time alongside senior 51Âþ»­ representatives.”

During the Leicester-based Humanities of Sport module of the course the students will cover themes including the Birth of Modern Sport, Equality and Inclusion, Sport and Development, Women’s Sport and the Internationalisation of Sport.

James Panter who is the FIFA Master Humanities of Sport Module Coordinator explained, “A huge amount of work goes into building the teaching timetable each year, with a combination of academic lectures, industry guest speaker sessions and an extensive field visit programme to some of the biggest names in world sport. It is fantastic to finally welcome the new class who have travelled from around the world to Leicester and begin the 24^th edition of the course.”

Teresa Ouko Calleb, who amassed 43 caps and two goals playing as centre back for the Kenya national women’s football team, is looking to broaden her knowledge about management and take those skills back to Kenya to help continue the progress in women’s football.

She said: “I am very excited to be here in Leicester but I have to admit I am a bit nervous too.

“But this is an amazing opportunity for me.”

Paola Lopez, who played club football in Mexico for club sides Pumas and Cruz Azul as well as on the wing for the Mexico national women’s football team, wants to help make the Mexican game more competitive on the pitch.

Her dream job would be to become a head of football development for a Mexican club side or academy.

She said: “My big ambition is for us to be more competitive in football. I am excited to see what happens with the course.”

Previous alumni who studied at 51Âþ»­ have been inspirational figures in their chosen line of sport and attended the FIFA Masters to go on and lead institutions around the globe.

They include former Manchester United FC midfield ace, Park Ji-Sung, Sanaa Darawsha, who was the first female Arab Muslim referee to officiate in the Israeli football league, and Eduardo Tavares, who was previously responsible for Chelsea’s loan players - such as Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount.

Emma Twigg, who studied the FIFA Master at 51Âþ»­ in 2016, claimed gold for New Zealand at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Emma won gold in the women’s single scull rowing. She previously spoke to the university just before the Olympics about how she regularly trained on the River Soar, at the bottom of the 51Âþ»­ campus, and returned to the July 2022 course graduation ceremony as the class Patron. She has also just qualified for Paris 2024 which will be her fifth Olympic Games.

Increasing numbers of FIFA Masters alumni are also entering into non-profit organisations, charities and sports development work to help minorities and people in areas normally deprived of sport.

Solomon Mudege who graduated in 2010 and is now FIFA’s Head of Development Programmes Africa said, “The Leicester Humanities of Sport module taught me to consider the context of each sporting situation and how to find holistic solutions within sport administration. Professionally and socially, the course adds to each student’s competences, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the FIFA Master is life-changing. Everything is a learning opportunity, from the course content to the experience of living in three European countries”.