MESGO studies kick off

The third edition of the Executive Master in European Sport Governance (MESGO) – a unique education programme for sports organisations' elected representatives and managerial staff – has got under way in Paris, with participants eager to reinforce their football management skills, and benefit European football as a whole.

MESGO is designed for experienced managers and executives working in international, European and national federations; clubs, leagues and trade unions; European institutions and governments and partner organisations of sports bodies. The programme provides them with training, social and professional contacts, knowledge-sharing opportunities and personal development. Created by initiatives from internationally renowned universities and research centres, MESGO has been developed as a partnership of the members of the Association of European Team Sports (ETS) and has UEFA's full support.

MESGO's partner academic institutions include Birkbeck Sports Business Centre (University of London); Centre for Law and Economics of Sport (University of Limoges); Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz; Institut Nacional D'Educacio Fisica de Catalunya (University of Lleida) and Sciences Po Paris. Partner sports institutions are, in addition to UEFA, European Handball Federation (EHF); International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF); Rugby Europe, FIBA Europe (basketball) and the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball (CEV).

The programme focuses in particular on the current and future key challenges faced by sports organisations (specificity of sport, competitive balance, exploitation of commercial rights, social dialogue, match-fixing, doping, social responsibility, etc.). MESGO also involves in-depth analysis of legal, political and economic issues (e.g. competition law, litigation prevention, risk management, regulation and media policy).

The group of 23 participants in the third MESGO edition includes six CEOs/general secretaries from Europe's national football associations. The course comprises nine one-week seminars spread over 18 months and takes place in different European cities, and aims, amid an ever-changing environment in the sports industry, to provide its participants with a better understanding of the key current and future challenges faced by the sports sector, while also focusing on the European dimension involved. Two sessions take place outside Europe (New York and Rio de Janeiro), focusing on in-depth studies of other sports organisational models.

In his welcome speech, the secretary-general of the basketball body FIBA Europe, Kamil Novák, said that MESGO is not only a fine example of collaboration between the worlds of academia and sport, but also a very real example of a project managed jointly by Europe's major team sports. "This association brings together the European federations for basketball, football, handball, rugby and volleyball, as well as the International Ice Hockey Federation," he said. "MESGO is unique because these federations, representing Europe's top team sports, have been involved in the selection of the content used during the programme ever since its launch.

"No doubt, this explains the success that the programme has enjoyed among top sports executives in Europe and worldwide. In effect, this partnership guarantees that the topics covered are closely aligned with the concerns of sports federations and their partners. This course represents a tremendous platform not only for discussion and the exchange of knowledge between our respective federations, but also with representatives of other bodies such as national associations, clubs, governments or private organisations working in sport."

"You have just started a long journey," UEFA's head of national association development Thierry Favre told the participants. "During the nine forthcoming sessions, you are going to meet incredible speakers – a mix of talented academics and very experienced professionals. And this is exactly what UEFA wanted to encourage in supporting MESGO – the creation of a strong network of informed people gathering to discuss the current and future challenges of sport.

“UEFA values the fact that MESGO is delivered in cooperation with the other European team sports," Favre added. "We at UEFA are very much aware that we have a lot to learn from the other sports. And this is exactly what MESGO is made for."