This week felt slightly different from the previous ones, mainly because I officially started my internship, which is incredibly exciting. Over the next few weeks I’ll be interning with the communications department of Real Madrid’s first team under Juan Camilo Andrade. And a small spoiler: it’s only been a week, but I have already learned so much.
But let’s start from the beginning.
Monday: NFL Strategy Presentation
Monday (which honestly already feels like weeks ago) started in the gym before heading to the Alcobendas campus for our next case study presentation.
Last time our assignment focused on crisis communication, based on the Borussia Dortmund bus bombing case. This time it was something completely different. In groups, we had to create a communication strategy explaining how the NFL could secure a long-term contract to host regular season games in Madrid.
At first it was a bit challenging because I know very little about the NFL. However, I do understand Spanish culture and the audience here, so our focus became how to make a very American sport connect with Spanish fans.
We presented our strategy in front of Claire Parnell, the Senior Director of International Communications for the NFL. The presentation went really well and we received very positive feedback. After all the groups finished presenting, she also shared her career journey and current work, which was incredibly interesting to hear.
Tuesday: Internship Day One
Tuesday was my first official day at the internship, and what a way to start: a Champions League press conference day.
Obviously I can’t go into details about the work itself, but I can say that I helped prepare the press conference setup and assisted students who were attending the player interview, which was with Federico Valverde.
It was also my first time being involved in a player interview environment, and it was fascinating to see how broadcasters prepare and then conduct the interviews.
Afterwards, I rushed back to university for a lecture with Oliva Cárcar, who works with Google and YouTube. The class focused on how the YouTube platform works from a professional perspective.
Training Session Before the Real Madrid Champions League Press Conference.
Wednesday: A Quiet Day
Wednesday was a bit calmer. I worked remotely for the internship in the morning and, with no classes scheduled, I finally had time for normal life things: gym, laundry, groceries, and catching up on everything I hadn’t had time for earlier in the week.
Later that evening I watched the Real Madrid Champions League match at home, which ended in a 3–0 win.
Thursday: Class by Lucía Borro
Thursday was a day off from the internship, so the morning was completely free. I went to the gym and had a relaxed breakfast before heading to class.
This time the lecture was very different. Influencer Lucía Borro came to speak about how she built her career in content creation. While this type of work isn’t the direction I personally want to go in (communications is still the goal), it was still very interesting to see how that world works.
Friday: Back at Valdebebas
Friday morning was spent at Valdebebas again for another press conference, this time ahead of the La Liga match against Elche. It was another morning filled with new things to observe and learn.
Afterwards, I went home, worked out at the gym, and had a quiet evening. A long FaceTime call with my parents and an early night felt very needed after such a full week.
Saturday: Match Night
Saturday was fairly quiet during the day. I spent most of the afternoon writing my pre-match notes for the game that evening.
Around 18:00 I met Fran for a drink before heading to the Bernabéu. Most of our class attended the match against Elche, which I already wrote a full Match Days post about, so make sure to check that out if you’re interested.
After the game, a few of us went to NAP, my favourite pizza place in Madrid, where we talked about the match, the week, and everything else going on lately.
The Warming Up Before the Match.
Sunday Reset
And now it’s Sunday while I’m writing this, and the plan is simple: rest.
Next week will be extremely busy with internship days from Monday through Saturday and classes throughout the week. There’s even a class on Sunday, although that one hardly feels like work because it’s a private Bernabéu tour given by Juan.
So for now, a quiet Sunday before another very full week begins.
See you here next week 🙂
