News

In the 8th issue of the FMA Quarterly, we interviewed Pedro Trengrouse (FMA’04). Due to limited space, we published only a small edited version of the interview on our newsletter. Here, you can find the full interview

The Brazilian Pedro Trengrouse (Class of 2004), 35, who also holds a French passport, is one of the best known alumni in our association. Everyone, even those who have not met him, seems to have heard one of his incredible stories – like the one when he left the classroom in Milan, in the middle of the class, to (actually) go meet the Pope John Paul II! (He also audiences with Popes Benedict XVI and Francis).

If you meet him, you won’t forget. Pedro is always on accelerated pace and will hardly go unnoticed. He’s not only very vocal, but also very proactive and is certainly the driving force behind the main activities promoted by the alumni in Brazil. Without him, the FMA Seminar that will happen on 2nd July (as well as the previous ones organised in the country) would not be possible.

He talks about the importance of the FGV FIFA Master Alumni Seminar: “Events like this seminar promote each and every alumnus as well as the FMA as a whole. They grasp the attention of sport entities, media, companies and organizations throughout the globe.  Hopefully this experience can motivate other regional alumni groups to engage in initiatives that promote the FIFA Master and raise funds for the FIFA Master Alumni Association. The FMA is one of the most valuable assets of the FIFA Master. It needs to grow continuously in size, prestige and influence in the sport industry.”

Pedro has been working with sports for a long time. Before doing the FIFA Master he worked for six years at the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation. After the masters, he became special advisor of the historic Flamengo president, Marcio Braga, and had the chance to negotiate the highest sponsorship and media rights contracts in the country, while designing their corporate social responsibility policies. He also served as a consultant to the United Nations Development Program, in matters related to Sports legislation and the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Currently Pedro leads a busy schedule as he practices law at his firm, teaches Sports Law at the Fundação Getulio Vargas Faculty of Law; coordinates the FGV/CIES course in Management, Marketing and Law of Sports and does some consultancy projects to clients such as the Ministry of Sports and AmBev. He is also a member of the Legal Committee of the National Sports Council, nominated by the Minister of Sports, with responsibility over the drafting of new sports regulations in Brazil, dealing with key stakeholders like FIFA and the Brazilian National Congress.

FMAQ: Throughout the years you have been a great incentive to the FMA. What do you think is the real potential of an association like ours and what should we do in order to achieve it?
Pedro Trengrouse: I reckon that the FMA has a key role to play in developing sports ethically worldwide.

The XXI century challenges are very much different from the past. Whereas Sport is nowadays a business in several aspects it is crucial to have a cohort such as the FMA to safeguard Sports´ true nature. The FIFA Master recognition as the world´s best Postgraduate Master increases our responsibility as references to society as a whole. On top of organizing gatherings and parties, our association must rise up to the task of being at the forefront of all initiatives to strengthen sport in itself as well as a tool for human, social and economic development.

Clearly we must organize ourselves to be able to offer services to many different stakeholders, organizing events like seminars and round tables, conducting research and providing consultancy at the highest standards, leveraging at our unique expertise, experience and network.

I remember my class visit to the IOC back in 2004. We all watched there an Ad Series called Celebrate Humanity. It still touches me everytime I watch and I feel that all the alumni could relate to this particular one in a way that it can inspire us all: "To be a giant - This has forever been our passion, this desire to be a giant. Not to stand on one's shoulders or have one for a friend, though these may be fortunate things, but to be one. Giants step over barriers that seem never-ending. They conquer mountains that appear insurmountable. Giants rise above fear, triumph over pain, push themselves and inspire others. To be a Giant, To do Giant things, To take Giant steps, To move the world forward."

FMAQ: You are heavily involved with the organisation of the FGV FIFA Master Alumni Seminar, which we’ll host on 2nd July, in Rio. How did it all start?
PT: John Kennedy once said: "One person can make a difference and everyone should try". Bearing that in mind, Cadu (FMA 3rd edition), Andres and myself (FMA 4th edition) came together as the Steering Committee of the 1st FIFA Master Seminar, staged on March 14, 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, aiming at passing on valuable information and important lessons related to the sport market to young professionals working or interested in working with sport.

The event was organized as an initiative to raise funds for the FIFA Master Alumni Foundation, promote the FIFA Master in Brazil, and transfer knowledge obtained at the Master and experience in the sport market.

These objectives were met with the utmost quality and dedication, and the results were evident.

The seminar took place at Academia Brasileira de Letras, one of the most prestigious venues in the country.

Initially, the target audience for the Seminar was planned to be university students and young professionals that were in the first years of their professional careers. This, however, changed once the Steering Committee noticed that people from different backgrounds, ages, cites, and states began registering for the event. The target audience was therefore modified to university students and all professionals with an interest in the sport industry and the FIFA Master.

A total of 248 participants, from ages 17 to 74, participated of the event (77% men and 23% women).

Representatives from various clubs and companies made their way to Rio de Janeiro, including: CBF, Brazilian Olympic Committee, Flamengo Football Club, Vasco Football Club, Botafogo Football Club, Corinthians Football Club, Ministry of Sport of Brazil, Petrobas, Bank of Brazil, Honda, IBM, TV Globo, Siemens, and many others.

The steering committee invited representatives from major sport organizations and all levels of government to attend the event. Their presence gave the seminar credibility, prestige, and attention from the media.

The FIFA Master Brand was promoted in Brazil through the media and event itself. The alumni passed on valuable information of the sport sector and shared their experience from the master. Finally, the steering committee donated CHF 5,000 to create the Jean Louis-Juvet Scholarship Fund.

All three main objectives were met with quality and responsibility, making the 1st FIFA Alumni Seminar an absolute success.

The engagement and support of all the Brazilian FIFA alumni, in particular those who presented at the event, was essential for the event’s success.

The seminar, in return, gave these alumni a platform on which to showcase their experience and prove the value of a FIFA Master Diploma.

The seminar we host this year is the 3rd we organize with Fundação Getulio Vargas, nevertheless this story begins earlier. 
 
FMAQ: Why is such event important for the FMA?
PT: Events like this seminar promote each and every alumnus as well as the FMA as a whole. They grasp the attention of sport entities, media, companies and organizations throughout the globe.

Hopefully this experience can motivate other regional alumni groups to engage in initiatives that promote the FIFA Master and raise funds for the FIFA Master Alumni Association.

The FMA is one of the most valuable assets of the FIFA Master. It needs to grow continuously in size, prestige and influence in the sport industry.

FMAQ: How has your career developed since graduation 10 years ago? What is your career plan for the near future?
PT: I worked for six years at the Football Federation of Rio de Janeiro, before taking the Master as Special Projects Director and after as Vice-President of Legal Affairs.

Then Marcio Braga, the President of Flamengo, hired me as his Special Advisor, responsible for designing corporate social responsibility policies, as well as drafting and negotiating the highest sponsorship and broadcasting contracts in the country, dealing with important organizations such as Petrobras, TV Globo, Nike, Olympikus, Odebrecht, Time Warner, Fox Sports and others.

I served as a consultant to the United Nations Development Program, in matters related to Sports legislation and the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Currently, I practice law at my firm (www.andradefigueira.com), teach Sports Law at the Fundação Getulio Vargas Faculty of Law; coordinate the FGV/CIES course in Management, Marketing and Law of Sports as well as some consultancy projects to clients such as the Ministry of Sports and AmBev amongst others.

On top of that I am a member of the Legal Committee of the National Sports Council, nominated by the Minister of Sports, with responsibility over the drafting of new sports regulations in Brazil, dealing with key stakeholders like FIFA and the Brazilian National Congress.

For the future I have a feeling that the best is yet to come and I intend to spend some time as a visiting scholar at the Berkman Center in Harvard, reviewing the conditions of bidding for and hosting major sport events.

I believe that Sports should be serving society much better. There must be a new perspective to make countries and Sports Organizations understand the role sports can play in modern society as a tool for human and social development rather than just an economic  enterprise.

Countries bidding to host Sport events should develop their own agenda instead of limiting their scope to fulfill the requirements of Sports Organizations as the sponsors have learnt long ago that it is not worthy to buy any rights to be associated to these events if there is no additional investment to activate such rights.

On top of that, it is somehow important to consider the impact of Internet at the current economic and social model of Sports as well as how it could proactively react to keep its attractiveness.

I believe in a much broader approach to empower the role of Sports in Society, especially in sectors as education and health. 

Actually, it was an honour to receive a letter from FIFA stating that it had created a CSR department in line with the recommendations made in the paper I had the opportunity to write with my beloved friends Nick Lau and Kenneth Makhanya 10 years ago.

I feel it is time to take a step forward.

FMAQ: How important was the FIFA Master in your career?
PT: The FIFA Master was not only important in my career. It was a watershed in my life. I am truly grateful to have had such a wonderful time and learning experience with friends that are part of my life forever.   
 
FMAQ: What is your fondest memory of the FIFA Master?
PT: I have so many good memories. It is very hard to pick one.

Nevertheless if I must pinpoint one it would be the FIFA Centennial Congress in Paris.

First because my whole class went to Paris to somehow be at FIFA´s history in the making.

Second because it was something I was personally involved in all the preparations.

Although some of my classmates did not believe it was possible to get everybody invited as honorary guests to such an important event, I never doubted and at the end we were all together there in Paris.

It was an achievement we owe thanks to Vincent Monnier and truly inspired on Churchil´s wise words: never give up!

Happiness is only real when shared and I feel my classmates also share this experience as one of their fondest in the FIFA Master.

FMAQ: It is World Cup time! Have you been involved with it at all? How?
PT: In 2008/2009 I was hired as a consultant to the United Nations Development Program, in matters related to Sports legislation and the FIFA World Cup 2014.
 
FMAQ: Brazil has been receiving a lot of criticism – they had 7 years to prepare and all the works are late (in stadia and elsewhere). Is all this criticism justified? What was the problem?
PT: Brazil is not late if compared to South Africa where the main stadium was inaugurated by FIFA only 10 days before the opening match.
The World Cup in Brazil has everything that takes to be the best one ever.

FIFA has never had such a high demand for tickets nor it had made so big revenues from sponsors and TV.

The biggest problem in my view is that Brazil did not develop its own agenda to improve Brazilian  Football and provide a different experience to the Brazilian people eager to participate at the World Cup differently than they did in the previous editions hosted in other countries.

I am very worried about the extent of the impact of the public demonstrations that have been taking place all over the country not only in the 2014 World Cup but on world sports (mega events) in general. 
We all know how much time and effort were required to build a positive worldwide environment where sport events are welcome and sought after by almost every single country on earth.

Brazil being the 6th largest world economy, a prominent regional leader and a protagonist of the new world order, is definitely in a position of influence, and whatever happens here reaches out to the world as we can see from the article published in the German newspaper Die Zeit: www.zeit.de/sport/2013-06/brasilien-proteste-fifa-danke
Depending on how the relevant stakeholders react to the protests, individual and collectively, this public outcry could, in itself, be a great opportunity to enhance FIFA’s CSR image as well as the status of football as a tool for development and peace in modern society.

“Under promise and over deliver”

This motto should be observed not only in regards to the relationship between FIFA and its commercial affiliates but also with the Brazilian people. It was not wise to publicly present the World Cup as if it was a solution in itself for several issues of Brazilian infrastructure.

All the studies so far, including the one we made at FGV, have been focused on social and economic impacts of investments in Brazilian infrastructure that are not essentially related to the World Cup.

The cost of hosting the World Cup is very much smaller than advertised, especially if we consider that it is predominantly only the stadiums are in essence related to the event.

Then again, if we consider that Brazilian clubs and the private entertainment industry will use the stadiums post the World Cup, the costs of hosting the World Cup is virtually null, particularly compared to the current Brazilian GDP.

I have written an article about this topic for Folha de São Paulo, whose translation to English can be found at:www.copa2014.gov.br/en/noticia/article-world-cup-and-brazil-pedro-trengr...

Perhaps it would have been a good idea for FIFA to orchestrate a joint effort with the Brazilian Government and the commercial affiliates to clarify the real dimension and benefits of the World Cup to the country.

World Cup Legacy to Brazil: improvement of Brazilian Football

Brazil is commonly referred as the country of football. Nevertheless, Brazilian clubs are far from reaching their full potential. There is data to support the position that Brazilian football generates R$ 11 billion/year and 400,000 jobs, whereas it could reach more than R$ 60 billion/year and 3 million jobs if the clubs had better management and a better calendar of fixtures.

There are approximately 800 professional football clubs registered at the CBF system. Only 100 have official matches to play all year round. The vast majority plays an average of 19 matches over a period of 4 months per year. On the other hand, top Brazilian clubs play up to 75 matches per year. An estimate made by FGV shows that if there was a calendar of fixtures of at least 9 months per year for all Brazilian clubs, it would generate R$ 600 million/year and almost 30 thousand jobs.   

It is undisputed that 12 new stadiums will boost Brazilian football but the World Cup could be a catalyst for important improvements in the overall structure of football in Brazil.

Why was it not created a task force with FIFA, CONMEBOL, CBF and Brazilian clubs to discuss issues such as club management and calendar of fixtures, putting together a plan to improve Brazilian football leveraging at the World Cup 2014?

Brazilian Legacy to the World Cup

“200 million people and less than 4 million tickets.” Brazilian people are passionate about football and want to experience the World Cup as never before.

It has always been part of our culture to watch football matches in public viewing events long before they became an integral part of the World Cup as Fan Fests.

There should be a huge interest from the Government of several (non-host) cities to organize public viewing events and the current scheme of licensing could have been much better if FIFA had taken a proactive approach in helping to take the World Cup directly to the Brazilian people.

Perhaps it would have been good if FIFA had led this initiative to make the World Cup experience available to the Brazilian people as a whole.

FMAQ: What should foreign FMA members visiting the country expect to see when they get to Brazil?
PT: They should expect to have a wonderful time

Short profile:
   Pedro Trengrouse Laignier de Souza
   Brazilian/French, single
   Lawyer
Favourite sport’s personality: Romário
Favourite sport: Football.
Favourite team: Fluminense FC
Most memorable sporting moment: The UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley, in 2011: Barcelona 3 – 1 Manchester United