MIP Alumni News

© FIFPro For most players, hours of gruelling training followed by intense games is enough to fill a weekly schedule, but Verónica Boquete dedicates her time to much more than her pitch skills. Working tirelessly to ensure everyone is given their best chance in football, the Fiorentina forward campaigns for real change both on and off the pitch. 

We spoke with Vero to hear more… Who or what inspired you to play football?  I started playing football because my dad was a coach and I also have a brother who is three years older than me. Growing up I wanted to [...]

© The Guardian In his role as Board of Directors' lead for equality, diversity and inclusion at Charlton Athletic, Paul Elliott uses his deep passion for EDI to make a true difference in the world of football. Regarded as a trailblazer throughout his whole career, Paul has a trusted voice in the football community, something which he uses to create positive change for the future.

We spoke with him to find out more… How did your career in football begin? Football for me started very local, with Charlton Athletic, they were my first club. I supported them for many years and grew [...]

Joel Cohen and Chris Mann from the Sportsology Group speaking at the General Assembly. The MIP Alumni Association is pleased to announce a partnership with Sportsology Group, a leading provider of premium knowledge, strategic advisory, and operational support in the Sports Industry. “This partnership presents an opportunity for the MIP Alumni to continue their learning, to better develop and understand the skills required to secure executive, decision making roles within sport. We are delighted to be working with Sportsology, an industry leader in this field and a go-to for so many sporting organisations.” Gareth Farrelly, MIP Alumni President "We are excited [...]

David Loriya, Director General of the project, President of the Astana Football Federation, and Yerlan Alimbayev, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN in Geneva and Garreth Farrelly, President of the UEFA MIP Alumni Association. At the recently held MIP Alumni Association General Assembly at UEFA HQ in Nyon, coinciding with the graduation of MIP4, the association, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SuperBol, a Social Football project in Kazakhstan. SuperBol focuses on empowering young football talents and creating positive change. It has successfully reached over 22,000 participants across the country through casting in 14 cities. This exciting collaboration, initiated by [...]

As Chief Football Development Officer at CONCACAF, Jason Roberts uses his wealth of experience on the pitch to pave the way for the future of football. He drives the Confederations plans across education, women’s football and professionalisation, making a true difference to the game. We caught up with him to hear about his impressive career… Where did your love for football come from? I was born with a football in my lap because I was very fortunate to come from an extremely sporty family. My uncle Cyrille Regis was one of the first black players to play for England, my uncle [...]

Manager of Women’s Football at the Dutch FA, Lucienne Reichardt works hard to raise the bar of the women’s game, providing equal opportunities at all levels. She utilises her successful playing career to bring experience, knowledge and burning passion to every aspect of her work. We spoke to her to find out more on her dreams for the women’s game. Tell me where your love of football came from and when you started playing? I was five-years-old when I started playing in a small city in the Netherlands, I was actually the only girl who was playing in that area. I [...]

Annike Krahn is currently the Germany under 17's team manager and is a born leader on and off the pitch. With 137 caps for her national team, the German legend has enjoyed a successful playing career, featuring in both the Paris-Saint-Germain and Bayer Leverkusen squads. Away from the pitch, she continues to be a trailblazer for women’s football, leading open conversations on ways to improve the game. 

We caught up Annike, who graduated from the UEFA MIP programme in 2019, to talk all things football … When did your playing career begin, and at what point did you know you wanted [...]

Eintracht Frankfurt Project manager Lise Munk has proven to be successful both on and off the pitch. During her playing career she was able to play in the UEFA Champions League, as well as appearing on her national team squad, now she is able to help countless people achieve their dreams in football. We spoke with Lise to hear more on her inspirational career … Where did your love for football come from? I started playing football when I was four years old because my father was a coach and he wanted to bring me to practice. I have two siblings [...]

©The Times “The MIP Alumni Association wants people to take power from the fact that once their playing career is finished, there's an exciting road ahead. It’s great to meet others that have walked that same path as you and can help you develop.” MIP Alumni Association President, Gareth Farrelly is passionate about connecting the ex-players of the world and assisting them to unlock a new lease of life.  He wishes to see more players working in executive roles, with the power to be extremely influential. Where did your love of football come from? When I look back, it was just something I [...]