As part of their module on 'Management of a professional club', our 4th year AMOS students had the opportunity to visit the sports facilities of AS Monaco. The day was organized by their lecturer David Ducci (former professional footballer and founder of his sports management and organization consulting company 'SUD Sports Agency'), where the AMOS students met with the basketball and football clubs of the Principality (first part of the module with AS Monaco – second part with OGC Nice on the security of a professional football match at the Allianz Riviera with the Director of Organization and Security Franck Havot on May 14th). Here's a look back on the day.
The Louis II stadium is not like any other stadium. This sports complex also houses a swimming center and a basketball court. Yann Boisson, Administrative Director of the club, opened the doors of this special place for us. The management of a professional club, the role of a sports manager, and the difficulties of this position were among the issues discussed during the visit.
The management of the Monaco club has its specificities. Beyond the fact that a patron is the main source of funding, the ASM Basket faces an atypical geographical situation. The 'Roca Team' basketball court can only accommodate 3,000 people on match nights. A headache for Yann Boisson, even though the court still has a 75% attendance rate this year. Another difficulty is having only four administrative staff members, when around fifteen would be necessary. Despite this, the rapid rise of the club in the Principality remains the main source of satisfaction for the Administrative Director. Four years ago, the team was still playing in the third division. Since then, they have climbed to the top of the French championship and reached the European final four this season. The performances continue with players having to prove themselves at every moment.
The players are eager to prove their worth to earn an extension, like Amara Sy, captain of the team (link to the interview), who was honored to answer the numerous questions from the students.
Joined by the Marketing and Communication Manager of the club, Ingrid De Bruyn, our lucky Master's students were able to extend the conversation with their high-quality speakers on the basketball court, between a photo and two free throws. The morning concluded with a meal at the AS Monaco cafeteria, which hosts football and basketball training center residents as well as staff from both entities.
In the afternoon, they headed to Turbie. This time, it was the training center of the AS Monaco professional team that welcomed our students. Bernard Véronico, the club's Team Manager, showed them around the facilities: changing rooms, recovery and weight rooms, training fields... A center that will be transformed in the next two years to obtain more efficient infrastructure.
The group then accessed the press conference room of the training center, where the players and coach Jardim usually speak with journalists. Bernard Véronico shared his experience as a coordinator between the staff and the players, as well as his various responsibilities, from managing substitutions on the bench to organizing travel and overnight stays in hotels and even simple discussions with a player. Speaking five languages, he has no trouble making a player feel comfortable in Monaco and within the team. Although sometimes he has to reprimand the younger players, the players have deep respect for him. The primary satisfaction for this manager is athletic. The season that AS Monaco offers this year is the result of a season start where a climate of trust gradually established. "From the beginning of the season, we felt that something could happen," he said. Solid confidence despite some anecdotal setbacks, until the coronation on May 17, 2017, after the 2-0 victory over AS Saint-Etienne in the 31st postponed match.
If the day was already full with the exceptional welcome from these two clubs, a big surprise came to enhance the visit: the captain of AS Monaco and Colombian international, Radamel Falcao, also came to answer the passionate questions of our AMOS students about the current season. As the program drew to a close, the students headed towards the exit where Nabil Dirar, Moroccan international, came to meet them to greet his "khoya" (brother in Arabic), David Ducci. Nabil Dirar and David Ducci regularly work together, as our sports law lecturer is a member of the Moroccan national team staff. The Master's students all left Monaco after a final photo and a debrief of the day, but above all with the feeling of having been privileged to experience this day. "We were truly treated like royalty," Alexandre Niay said.
Whether led by Amara Sy or Radamel Falcao, the Monaco teams are enjoying great success this season.
All the 4th-year PGE students would like to express their sincere thanks once again: "We would like to thank David Ducci, our sports law professor, for allowing us to discover these places that we know are extremely difficult to access. We would also like to thank Mr. Yann Boisson and Mr. Bernard Véronico for their welcome and availability
https://www.amos-business-school.eu/actualite/recus-comme-des-princes-2/