On September 1, 2025, I arrived in the beautiful city of Madrid, Spain. I had no idea what to expect, but I had heard great things about this city, so I was excited to start my new adventure and next chapter of my life here.
I am originally from Canada, but before moving to Madrid, I was working in the Netherlands on a working holiday visa starting from the end of January this year. Last year, I moved to the Netherlands for my 6-month exchange semester, and after being there, I knew I wanted to go back as soon as I could. I fell in love with myself there, so I could not resist. Having done my bachelor’s back in December, I decided to make that move. I hope that with this master’s, I can take the chance to live in Europe for the rest of my life.
During my time here in Madrid for the next 11 months, I will be studying a master’s degree in Communication & Sports Journalism at Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid Universidad Europea. With this blog, I will be broadcasting my experiences during this master’s and my time here in Madrid.
To start, I will be sharing what I have done so far with Real Madrid.
As I moved into my apartment here and got settled, I had the chance to attend an interview at Ciudad Real Madrid on September 9, 2025, with Real Madrid’s very own Brazilian professional footballer, Rodrygo and their football manager, Xabi Alonso. This experience is something I will never forget. A few other colleagues and I got to see how the interview was set up and executed. I was lucky enough to be here before the master’s started on October 20 and receive this incredible opportunity before the chaos of classes started.
On September 12, 2025, I had the chance to attend my first press conference and training session at Ciudad Real Madrid. This press conference included head coach Xabi Alonso and was for the La Liga game of Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad on September 13, 2025.
My second press conference and training, September 15, 2025. This was a special one as it was for the first Champions League match of the season between Real Madrid and Marseille on September 16, 2025. The press conference featured Xabi Alonso and French footballer Aurélien Tchouaméni, with flash interviews in between.
During the evening, I went to Bernabéu Stadium for the first time to attend a press conference for Marseille. This conference included head coach Roberto De Zerbi and Argentinian footballer Leonardo Balerdi.
The third press conference and training I attended was on September 19, 2025. This was for another La Liga game of Real Madrid vs. Espanyol on September 20, 2025. The press conference included the head coach, Xabi Alonso.
The fourth press conference and training I attended was on October 3, 2025. This was for the La Liga game of Real Madrid vs. Villarreal on October 4, 2025. The press conference included the head coach, Xabi Alonso.
On October 4, 2025, I attended my first game at the Bernabéu Stadium with media accreditation. I was absolutely ecstatic and grateful to be there. I have attended football matches with my (previous) boyfriend and friends before, and I have never loved the atmosphere more. I could not thank them enough for joining me or taking me to those games. This match of Real Madrid vs. Villarreal was full of intensity and execution. Real Madrid had early dominance, finishing efficiently after the international break, including two goals from Vinícius Júnior and one from Kylian Mbappé. This led to a fabulous 3-1 victory for Real Madrid.
After the match, I had the opportunity to attend the press conference with Villarreal’s head coach Marcelino García Toral and Real Madrid’s head coach Xabi Alonso.
These first weeks have already given me memories I’ll carry for a lifetime, and yet I feel like I’m only scratching the surface of what this master’s and my time in Madrid will bring.
Stay tuned for more!