An eager student on the BA (Hons) Football Business & Marketing programme, Lasse Bottcher travelled to Munich last month to help set up and prepare the Euro 2020 matches being hosted at the Allianz Arena. Now working at the heart of the tournament in Germany, he tells us about the experience and how it’s helped expand his network for his future career…
Being part of Euro 2020 in Munich is an unbelievable experience and has fulfilled many of my childhood dreams so far. As a Bayern Munich supporter, working at the Allianz Arena every day and contributing to one of the biggest football tournaments by having behind the scenes access is truly unique.
After the deferral of Euro 2020 due to COVID-19, I was very excited to finally get to Munich and start my role as a technical services worker before the start of the tournament, and as ceremony maker volunteer on match days. As a technical services volunteer, the main tasks were focused on COVID-19 mitigation measures in preparation for the matches in Munich. This included the preparation and distribution of hand sanitizers, social distance stickers as well as checking that all areas of the stadium are COVID secure. Consequently, I got to see every different area of the stadium including changing rooms, press-conference rooms and on-pitch areas. It is amazing to see the progress of the stadium day to day and to get an insight into how many people are needed to prepare the stadium. On the other hand, I also experienced all the effort and hard work of everyone behind this special event.
On match days, I am part of the pre-match ceremony, which is another amazing opportunity I am really excited about. Being on the pitch and creating an atmosphere for the fans in the Allianz Arena before the Germany vs France and Germany vs Portugal matches was incredible and has given me further insights about what it is like to be on the pitch side before big games.
During my time as a volunteer in Munich, I’ve gotten to know many special people from diverse backgrounds. The anticipation for the first matches of the German national team and passion for football bonded us in a special way.
I did not only meet new friends, but also expanded my network in the football business as many volunteers and employees come from similar professional backgrounds and some of them are already working for football clubs or associations. This is especially important for me as a third year UCFB student, as I am now looking to get a full-time role in the football business.
After studying at UCFB and experiencing the amazing Wembley Stadium every day, I just really enjoy getting these unique insights into another amazing stadium. As part of my Football Business & Marketing degree, I had several modules and lectures about event management and marketing of all kinds of events. Now I am able to see all the theoretical knowledge I gained implemented into a real event. Everything is planned in the smallest detail and I was very surprised about the internationalism of the tournament, with many specialist companies coming from countries like the Netherlands or United Kingdom helping to implement the strict event requirements of UEFA. All in all, I am very proud to be part of the tournament and I would just highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to get behind the scenes experience in the world of football.
