Published: 26 July 2024
With the Euros finished and the Olympics starting today, Dr Niki Koutrou, Principal Lecturer, explains how crucial volunteers are to the success of big sporting events and shares her volunteering experience at this year’s UEFA Champions League Final.
“Volunteers are the backbone of large sporting and festivals. Without their efforts, it would almost be impossible to deliver them”, says Niki, having completed her latest duty as a Pitch Operations Volunteer at the Champions League Final in early June.
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Held at London’s iconic Wembley stadium, the event welcomed 86,000 supporters and was seen by an audience of over 100 million worldwide – witnessing Real Madrid emerge victorious over Borussia Dortmund.
Given Niki’s expertise in sports management and her research centring on volunteer management and the legacy of major sporting events, the Final was a great opportunity to combine her research interests with her passion for volunteering in sports.
Delivering an unforgettable experience
At the Champions League final, Niki was selected to join the Media Functional Area. An exciting opportunity to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes with the people who are responsible for broadcasting the excitement, drama and suspense of a major football competition to all parts of the globe.
Niki’s duties included assigning equipment, accreditation and pitch positions for media personnel as well as supervising pitch operations and photographers during the match. With the help of 500 volunteers, the Champions League Final was a success.
“Volunteering at such a high-profile event was not only an experience of a lifetime but also provided the opportunity to meet people, network with industry professionals, learn new transferable skills, and be part of delivering an unforgettable experience.”, explains Niki.
Developing future Sports Management leaders
If you are looking to develop your career in sports management or are an aspiring sports industry leader, the University of Sunderland in London has recently launched a Sports Management MBA course.
Find out more about the course and how you can learn from our experienced academics, like Niki, and benefit from their Sports and Events management expertise and industry experience. While also driving your professional management development in leadership, international business, digital skills, and sustainability.