Olivier's dual role

One of the unique aspects of working at UEFA is the fabulous opportunity it offers employees to undertake dual roles. Olivier Doglia explains how his role at UEFA EURO 2016 assists his daily job in giving him a broader understanding of football.

What does your dual role consist of?

Olivier: My day job with UEFA is that of football development manager, working on the UEFA elite youth football development programme. On top of this, I work as a match director, which sees me in Nice for UEFA EURO 2016. There, I am responsible for all sporting matters during the competition, working as part of a team alongside colleagues responsible for matters such as television, broadcasting, security, transport and hospitality. When I was first assigned this role, I went through intensive training, which was quite a revelation, discovering all the activities that occur around a football match. I was amazed because I was used to watching football on TV with my friends. When you feel ready to be a match director, you go once to a game with a tutor and then if that goes well, you’re on your own!

What attracted you to your dual role?

Olivier: I was a modest football player in Switzerland (with Servette FC, FC Sion and Etoile Carouge) and when I reached the first division, I felt I wasn’t able to progress any higher, so being a match director was the only way I was going to hear the UEFA Champions League anthem on the pitch. In addition, sitting behind a desk isn’t really my thing, but when it comes to being pitch-side, the pressure and the environment really bring out the best in me.

In both roles, I like to be as close to the pitch as possible. In the UEFA elite youth development programme, we are dealing with the development of players between the ages of 14 and 16, which is a crucial period in a player’s development pathway. With match organisation, it’s a different story as you’re working close to the best teams, the best players and the most popular matches. Our role is also to ensure a high quality of match organisation and timing, in keeping with UEFA standards. 

What career benefits does your dual role bring?

Olivier: The biggest benefit for me is gaining experience in elite youth development all the time. Each national football association has its own way of developing its best players, selection criteria and principles of the game they want to promote. Throughout this journey, UEFA is there to assist them if needed in order to improve their processes, while retaining their main values and philosophy. That’s rewarding for me. Meanwhile, organising top European matches gives you a critical insight into the detail that goes into these kinds of events, such as national team requests, training sessions, referees, press conferences, security and organisational meetings, stadium signage, accreditation systems, VIPs, pre-match ceremonies, the countdown to kick off, dealing with volunteers, ball boys and girls, fan activities, the media (including broadcasters), sponsors and, of course, the match! As if that’s not enough detail, you then have plenty of post-match activities too.

There are a lot of things in the background to bear in mind to ensure that all these points are coordinated efficiently. It can be stressful considering all the activities that take place around a game, but in the end we are speaking about football and our main priority as a match director is to protect the game, the teams and the officials.

What is the best thing about your dual role?

Olivier: The best thing about my dual role is working with both the best teams of today and the players of tomorrow. You get an inside look at the game that every football player and fan would love to experience. Don’t count on always getting enough sleep, but it’s worth it!

Is this the first time you've taken on a dual role?

Olivier: I started in 2009 with the UEFA European Under-19 Championship final tournament in Ukraine and then I did a couple of seasons in the UEFA Europa League. I then moved on to UEFA Champions League assignments, European Qualifiers and now the final stage of UEFA EURO 2016 in France. It’s a great chance to have experienced a wide range of football events organised by UEFA and it’s a fantastic way to experience how high-level matches come together.