Sebastián Hernández is an Alumni of the online Master’s Degree in Sports Management MBA at Real Madrid Graduate School. He completed it while balancing his sporting career as captain of Atlético Huila in Colombia’s First Division.
They say football transcends the pitch. So says Sebastián Hernández, captain of Atlético Huila, who made the decision to further expand his sporting expertise, this time on an academic level.
He believes football can be seen as a life project. “We, as players, live in our own bubble and think the sport is all about the dressing room, the stadium and our circle. But to have that kind of knowledge really broadens your scope, because football is not just about 11 players against another 11 players, but it goes well beyond this. Now, after having completed the master’s degree, I can say that I have so many more tools and increased knowledge”, he added.
In fact, the Atlético Huila captain made the decision to enrol for the programme in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, after he realised he should make the most of his time and explore new horizons: “I knew that many former teammates were retiring from football, but they missed out on important opportunities, because although they had a lot of experience in sports, they were less experienced in other areas, such as academia".
“Universidad Europea brought me into contact with fellow students and professors, and also allowed me to take classes at my own pace. Fifteen years ago, professional players had to choose between football or academia, since both could not be pursued together due to time constraints. But now we have technology that we should make the most of”, said Hernández.
The football player wished to add that the sport needs to exist alongside academic life, as this is how you learn to make better decisions in a sporting career. Furthermore, this experience opens up the opportunity to drive projects that create social impact for communities.
“I would recommend the experience I had at Universidad Europea to all fellow players, especially the youth dreaming of a stellar career. Beyond being excellent professional players, it’s important they also be all-round excellent people. On a personal level, I really believe this master’s programme changed my mindset and way of understanding football. I now see it as a life project”, the athlete emphasised. This master is part of the Real Madrid Graduate School–Universidad Europea, which came into being as an alliance between Real Madrid, one of the most successful sports clubs in history, and Universidad Europea, a leading institution in Spain for higher education. Its mission is to help promote the professionalisation and modernisation of the industry through university education.
This graduate school is a world-leading institution, and its methodology focuses on training in the areas of management, sports and health that Real Madrid has been developing for its internal management: Finance, Purchasing, Human Resources, Marketing, Facilities, Legal Services, Communication and Medical Services.
Hernández also used his master’s thesis as the basis to create Franlespor, a family business that aims to support the youngest and most vulnerable people in different regions of Colombia by providing them with tools and football boots to help them realise their dreams in the world of sport.
Finally, as a thank you to Universidad Europea, Sebastián could not pass up the chance to visit the Villaviciosa and Alcobendas Campuses while in Madrid. He wanted to show his appreciation and encourage the community of Colombian footballers to pursue further education.