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NYON Tierna Davidson Jersey , Switzerland (AP) — The students taking an executive masters course at UEFA this year could field one of the best school teams ever seen.After classes this week, Ballon d’Or recipient Kaka was joined on the field by Champions League winners Florent Malouda and Julio Cesar and an array of one-time national team stars. The action was intense and skillful on a chilly, wind-swept field at the European soccer body’s headquarters.Didier Drogba, though not playing, and Andriy Arshavin are also classmates for an 18-month education now in its third edition. The 2011 Champions League final referee, Victor Kassai, is on the team, too.The course comprises blocks of classes in seven cities — six in Europe and a final March 2021 session in New York — to teach the stellar students about business, management and marketing.The goal is to educate future presidents, CEOs and technical directors of clubs, businesses and national federations.“Strong leaders and mentors to other people,” said Stiliyan Petrov, who played more than 100 times for Bulgaria Christian Pulisic Jersey , and was also at UEFA to graduate with the previous course.Known as the Executive Master for International Players (MIP), the course is already helping fast-track careers, and has a strong Brazilian flavor.Former Brazil midfielders Rai, a 1994 World Cup winner, and Juninho Pernambucano graduated in 2017 from the first MIP and are now sporting directors of Sao Paulo and Lyon, respectively. Eric Abidal has a technical role at Barcelona.Another 2017 alumna, Bianca Rech, recalls one-time star players being “totally different” personalities as students.“You see these amazing players,” said Rech, a former Germany defender. “(The ego) is gone when they are coming into the classroom. They are very open to this new role for them.”The course is challenging, designed with help from universities in France and England, plus the global players’ union, FIFPro https://www.thetopsoccer.com/usa/timothy-weah-jersey , and the European Club Association. The New York week includes meeting NBA and Major League Baseball executives, and studies labor rights and negotiations.Starting the course this week, former Liverpool forward Emile Heskey said some students are nervous about taking an academic challenge.Heskey, who left school at 16, said he did not feel ready when invited to start the first MIP course in 2015.“I wouldn’t say we were a lost generation but we could have done better with our time,” Heskey said of his schooldays. “We have still got a long life ahead of us, so why not get involved with a course like this?”Petrov said soccer players are more intelligent than their stereotyped image: “Yes, I believe so. You have to be smart. In today’s football you can get in trouble very quickly. I think you have to develop in the right way.”All point to a sharing, cooperative atmosphere in class, and the start of a network of future industry leaders who can be more progressive.Rech cites the image of European soccer leadership as often being an “old man business.”“But I think there is a change coming,” the 38-year-old Bayern Munich executive said. “This group we are creating now will be so powerful, we really try to change and educate.” UDINE, Italy (AP) — Italy came away with hope for the future after Nicolo Barella and Moise Kean scored their first international goals in a 2-0 win over Finland to open European Championship qualifying on Saturday.It marked the first time the Azzurri scored more than one goal in a competitive match in nearly two years.Italy moved atop Group J Michael Bradley Jersey , level on three points with Greece, which won at Liechtenstein 2-0.Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Armenia 2-1 and also has three points.Under pressure to produce a revival after missing last year’s World Cup, Italy didn’t waste time. Barella, a 22-year-old midfielder with Cagliari, scored seven minutes in with a long, deflected shot from a rebound following a free kick from Marco Verratti.Kean, aged 19, then took advantage of an excellent throughball from Ciro Immobile to find the target from the center of the area in the 74th. He became the second youngest scorer for Italy after Bruno Nicole in 1958.Still, it wasn’t all straightforward for the hosts.Finland forward Teemu Pukki wasted a great chance to equalize, shooting wide after sprinting past Leonardo Bonucci to redirect a cross in the 65th.But the youth movement was the theme from the beginning, when Kean became the youngest striker to start for Italy in more than a century, in place of injured winger Federico Chiesa.“He’s skillful,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini said of Kean. “But he still has a lot of work to do. He’s got a huge margin for improvement.”Also earning his first international start was Valencia defender Cristiano Piccini at right back DeAndre Yedlin Jersey , playing for the injured Alessandro Florenzi. And midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, also 19, made his Italy debut as a second-half substitute.“It’s not difficult to see talent in Kean and Zaniolo, so it’s not a risk to pick them,” Mancini said.There were also contributions from veterans, with 36-year-old Fabio Quagliarella having a chance denied with a one-handed save from goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky after coming on in the second half.Quagliarella, the Sampdoria striker who leads Serie A with 21 goals, was making his first Italy appearance in 8 1/2 years.In Liechtenstein, Kostas Fortounis and Anastasios Donis scored for Greece.In Sarajevo, Rade Krunic and Deni Milosevic got the goals for Bosnia as striker Edin Dzeko celebrated his 100th appearance.On Tuesday, Italy hosts Liechtenstein in Parma, Greece plays at Bosnia and Finland visits Armenia.