
“From Exchange Student to La Liga Comms: Santiago Vázquez Sports Business & communications executive
From The Business of Football by David Chimbaza
April 29, 2026 · 44 min · Episode 83
About this episode
Santiago Vázquez shares his journey from an exchange student to a sports business and communications executive in La Liga.
Drawing from his own experiences across football, media and education, Santiago Vazquez shares how he went from a teenager obsessed with football statistics to working in the sport‑business world. He explains why the best version of yourself is the most valuable one, and why clarity, confidence and genuine self‑awareness matter far more than trying to fit a polished image that does not feel natural. Hosted By Lui Ferrera Alfonso, he sits down this week to interview the Sports Business & LA LIGA insider on his career so far. In this episode, Santiago unpacks his journey from a 17‑year‑old exchange student in Portugal living with a Portugal U17 national‑team coach and a young professional player, to building a career in football media and communications. He reflects on how that year opened his eyes to the inner workings of the game, tournament preparation, squad selection and the realities of not being a top‑level player—leading him to focus instead on how he could add value off the pitch. He also talks about his path into content creation, podcasting and radio, and how moving to Spain to study a master’s in football allowed him to gain new tools without abandoning his existing…
People in this episode
Host: Lui Ferrera Alfonso
Guest: Santiago Vázquez
Topics covered
- sports business
- football media
- communications
- networking
- career development
- content creation
Keywords
- football statistics
- career path
- unpaid internships
- networking
- podcasting
- master's in football
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: La Liga
Places: Portugal, Spain
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