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Love. L’amore. L’amour. DasWortdasgutinanderenSprachenklingt… You never know when that’s going to strike.

That could happen at a bar, at a party, at work, at a groceries store, online, during a bank robbery, or, in many cases, in the classroom. That has been the case for many years at the FIFA Master. Many couples have been formed – and almost as many have been dissolved… but the first and most notable love story of the FIFA Master started back in 2002, at the beginning of the 3rd edition. If there was a FMA Ultimate Couple’s Award, Francesca Sanzone and Pascal Sommerhalder would certainly take the trophy home.

But alongside their romantic tale, there are also their quite impressive professional careers – and that is the main reason why we decided to invite them to be part of this issue’s interview. Francesca is the Deputy CEO of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). She joined the federation one year after graduating from the FIFA Master with the mission to establish the then recently created UEFA Club Licensing System in Italy. She was Head of the department for 10 years before being promoted to her current position last year. Pascal started his career in sports doing sponsorship for Credit Suisse, but he soon would join his current employer - Infront Sports & Media -, where he is an Associate Director. “It’s now almost 10 years I’m with them and I still very much enjoy the company and my job. If the relationship with Francesca was able to develop, it’s also thanks to them – they were very cooperative and supportive in sending me to Italy as an Ex-Pat, even though the arguments were probably more of private than of professional nature”, he says.

FMA Quarterly: What are your fondest memories of the FMA Quarterly FIFA Master?

Francesca Sanzone: Well, I’d say that other than fin Francesca Sanzone ding each other, our fondest memories are mostly related to some social activities, funny incidents and/or some personal anecdotes from our school trips and the legendary parties. I still have a vivid picture of Jingson’s first ever attempt to ski at a weekend in Bormio. Also of our Mexican friend and Antonio Banderas lookalike, Gabo, who got lost on the slope and late in the evening was rescued by the slope sweep with only a tequila bottle as survival tool…

Pascal Sommerhalder: I have fond memories of Frances Pascal Sommerhalder ca’s famous “Spaghetti Carbonara” for all and of the Graduation in Neuchatel – where I met my parents in law for the very first time… and didn’t really impress them.

FMAQ: After all these years, how close are you of yo FMAQ ur classmates?

FS: We’re still very close. That said, in Giancarlo FS Dapoto we probably have the greatest networker and orchestrator within the entire FMA network! With him, things are easy. We’ve always been told that our edition was the best in terms of bonding and cohesion – and we think there is a good chance of it being true!

PS: For our wedding eight years after graduation, we PS had more than 20 alumni present. We also attended several friends’ weddings around the world (e.g. Cadu’s in Brazil, Betsy’s in US, Pierre’s, Sandro’s, and Andrey’s in Switzerland) and spent joint holidays in the years after graduation with former classmates in Greece, Brazil, Mexico, USA, and Italy.

FMAQ: Francesca, we all know that sports is not an e FMAQ asy field for women to develop professionally. What were the main challenges you faced in your career and what did you do to overcome them?

FS: I think that I have been lucky enough to be in t FS he right place at the right time when I was approached and hired by the FIGC for the UEFA Club Licensing Department. I can say I have never actually felt any kind of discrimination. You would be surprised also to see how many women occupy top management positions in our organization. Of course, in many occasions and meetings with clubs or at UEFA I am the only woman, but I have never felt in difficult situations. On the contrary. Where I struggle most - and this is why it is so much more difficult for a women to progress and to develop professionally - is trying to find the right balance between my family and the job.

FMAQ: Pascal, your wife is a decision maker in the F FMAQ IGC while the company you work for is constantly bidding for the federation’s media and marketing rights. Is there a conflict of interests there – and if so, how do you two deal with that?

PS: The funny thing actually is that Infront current PS ly owns all the marketing rights of the FIGC – so de facto there would be a fairly big conflict of interest. However, the reality is that we both aren’t really involved in either the bidding or the actual implementation of these or other similar projects. Given the obvious exposure to risks and critics, it’s best to stay away!

FMAQ: You were the first “official” couple of the Ma FMAQ sters. Any advice to all the romantics out there (for the couples just formed in the 15th edition and to those that most likely will be formed in the new 16th edition)?

PS: Well, I think romantic things are best left to t PS he ladies, so the floor is all Francesca’s… I’m quite curious to hear what her pieces of advice are!

FS: Love needs to be nurtured and cultivated. During FS the Master everything is easy and romantic, but after the course a lot of efforts are required to keep things going, especially if the couple is composed of people from different nationalities - which is likely to be the case. We were on a long-distance relationship for seven years before eventually finding a solution to move and live together. What I can say is think positively – we are the living prove that love after the FIFA Master exists! 

SHORT PROFILE SHORT PROFILE

Francesca Sanzone, Italian

Deputy CEO at the Italian Football Federation (FIGC)

Favourite sports personality: Francesco Totti.

Most memorable sporting moment: AS Roma winning the Most memorable sporting moment: “Scudetto” (Serie A) in 2001 and Italy’s World Cup victory in Germany, in 2006.

Pascal Sommerhalder, Swiss

Associate Director at Infront Sports & Media

Favourite sports personality: Zico.

Most memorable sporting moment: Brazil’s 2-3 defeat Most memorable sporting moment: against Italy and exit from the 1982 World Cup in Spain (my childhood hero, Zico, deserved better); and Italy’s World Cup victory in Germany.

Pascal and Francesca have a 3 year old son, Matteo