João tell us a little bit about you.
My name is João Paiva, I am Portuguese. I have been living in Switzerland for 7 years and I have been playing football for 15 years. At the moment I play for the FC Winterthur.
You are attending the online academy of the FIFPro. How did you find out about this program?
Well I had lunch with the representative of the SAFP Goran Ivelj, who I know from GC. He told me about the online academy FIFPro is offering. And also that the SAFP is helping their members to get a place in this study course. I was interested right away.
How do you think the online academy will help you for your future?
I think it gives me a very high education and at the same time I can keep on playing football. In addition I have contact with a lot of people who are coming from other sports. I have the chance to learn with them together.
After your studies you will have a Bachelor Degree in Sport Management. Do you want to become a sport manager?
I do not know whether I will be a sport manager but I know that I want to work in the area of sport. That is the good thing about this program. It gives you many options. This diploma gives me a wide and solid base for my future career.
Apart from playing football and doing the online academy, what else do you do in your life?
A part of the online academy is an internship in the third semester. I am doing mine at the office of the SAFP in Glattbrugg. It is a very nice challenge because I never sat in a chair in an office before.
The main idea of the internship is to learn how football runs outside of the field and how it is organized. My job at the moment is to work on the career desk. The idea behind this project is similar to the online academy of FIFPro. But the SAFP wants to offer a wider range of studies. We are trying to establish a more individual study program for the players.
What is the thing you cannot live without?
I cannot live without my family. I have a great relationship to my wife and we just got twins whom I love! But of course I also cannot live without football.
Picture: Leonardo Valloni
Editor: VM