Inside the UEFA internship experience: Three journeys, one shared culture
jeudi 18 juin 2026
Résumé de l'article
What is it really like to start your career at UEFA? We’ve asked three of our interns, Nina, Matteo and Emiliana, to share their expectations, what it feels like to truly work at the heart of European football, and what they have discovered along the way.
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For many students and graduates, UEFA is an organisation associated with major finals, iconic nights and elite football. But behind the bright lights lies a workplace filled with curiosity, collaboration and learning.
To understand what goes on behind the scenes at the home of European football, we spoke to three interns currently working at UEFA: Nina (Mobility), Matteo (National Associations Strategic Development) and Emiliana (Licensing).
From different paths to the same destination
For Nina, working at UEFA feels almost surreal.
“I grew up in Nyon and went to school nearby,” she says. “I used to walk past the building all the time, so actually being inside it now, as part of the organisation, is really special.”
With a background in business, analytics and finance, Nina was looking for something that would allow her to apply her skills in a real-world environment. When she came across an internship in Mobility, it immediately clicked. The team liaises with our club and national team competitions' host countries and cities, communicating UEFA's requirements, technical guidelines and recommendations to ensure that mobility, transport, and access to stadium run smoothly around the event, and that spectators and supporters can travel en-masse and in the best possible conditions to UEFA events.
"Actually being inside [UEFA] now, as part of the organisation, is really special."
For Matteo, after studying economics and business development and living in several countries – Germany, the UK, Russia, Italy, and then Switzerland – he found himself missing the international environment he had grown used to.
"Working at UEFA wasn't the traditional pathway for someone coming from a business school, but my previous volunteering experiences with UEFA and my passion for the sport ensured it became one for me, and I’m glad I chose this path."
Then he came across our National Associations Strategic Development internship. There, they provide tailored and on-demand consulting services to help associations reach their full potential. Having previously volunteered at UEFA events, he applied, thinking this was the dream internship.
“When I got the call, I was skiing,” he says. “I was completely out of breath – from the slope, but also from the excitement.”
For Emiliana, football has always been more than a sport. Growing up between countries and cultures, the football pitch was where she found a sense of home.
“That’s where I learned teamwork, adaptability, empathy and communication,” she says. “It was the place where I always felt comfortable.”
With a background in business and marketing, and previous experience at the International Olympic Committee, Emiliana was drawn to the internship in the Licensing team for its strong business and commercial focus, challenging her to work on new projects and areas of work such as e-sports and licensing.
Expectations vs. reality
All three arrived with expectations, and all three had them quickly reshaped.
Nina assumed her work in Mobility would focus on one specific competition.
“I thought I’d mainly be supporting UEFA EURO 2028,” she explains, “but pretty early on, I realised I was also involved in club competitions, finals and the UEFA Super Cup. That was a really nice surprise.”
She was equally surprised by the atmosphere.
“I imagined it would feel quite formal but it’s actually very relaxed and friendly. People are serious about their work, but very open as people.”
Matteo’s first surprise came from realising how much impact UEFA has as a governing body.
“You don’t really understand from the outside the value UEFA brings to national associations,” he says. “They all have different needs, different contexts, and suddenly you’re part of supporting that. You realise the influence you can actually have.”
Emiliana’s expectations were largely met, but still exceeded in one key area: trust.
“I expected passion, and I definitely found that,” she says. “What surprised me was how much responsibility interns are given, especially quite early on.”
Learning by doing — not just observing
Within the mobility team, Nina is already actively contributing to a project developing a forecasting tool to predict travel demand from spectators.
“It’s not just a theoretical exercise, I had to create a scoping document, speak to people in different departments and really understand how things work,” she explains.
For her, that sense of ownership has been a highlight. “Being trusted with your own project as an intern feels very motivating. It makes you want to do your best work.”
“What surprised me was how much responsibility interns are given, especially quite early on.”
Matteo experienced something similar from a different angle. One month into his internship, he helped support a UEFA Grow conference in Vienna – his first experience working on a large-scale event.
“At university, everything stays quite abstract. Here, suddenly, you see how all these tasks come together and turn into something real," he says. "From rooming lists to last-minute changes and coordination with participants, every detail mattered. Being trusted to contribute to the event, regardless of the size of the task, carries great importance and is a true privilege, especially when you see everything come together.”
Emiliana's learning curve came through stepping into an unfamiliar space: e-sports.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” she says. “But I was given the opportunity anyway, and that challenge is what I enjoyed the most.”
The sports culture is everywhere
Ask all three how they would describe the culture at UEFA, and the answers converge: healthy, passionate, human.
There’s structure, but flexibility.
High-intensity moments, balanced by genuine care for wellbeing.
Experts everywhere, and people willing to share what they know.
And yes, football is also everywhere: from lunch leagues to informal conversations that cross departments and hierarchies.
Nina highlights the sports culture that runs through everyday life at UEFA, from informal conversations to staying active during the workday. “It genuinely helps you get through the day,” she says. “You’re encouraged to move, to connect, to talk to people.”
Emiliana points to initiatives like lunch leagues and mystery coffees as moments where departments, hierarchies, and barriers come down. “You meet people you wouldn’t normally cross paths with,” she says. “It breaks silos in a very natural way.”
Advice to future interns
When asked what advice they would give to future applicants, none of them mention grades first.
“Do your research on the role and the organisation,” Nina says. “Also ask questions in the interview. It shows curiosity.”
Matteo agrees, adding: “It’s not about ticking boxes. Volunteering, languages, your experiences – everything contributes to who you are.”
And Emiliana puts it simply: “You need to know your own story, and your ‘why’: why UEFA, why this role, why the team, and why you. The interview is about getting to know each other, from both sides.”
We're excited to meet you
There is no single profile for a UEFA intern and that’s exactly the point.
Different backgrounds. Different departments. Different challenges.
What connects them all is a shared experience of learning, responsibility and being trusted to contribute to something bigger than themselves.
Discover more about UEFA