The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was a turning point for the entire nation – and, in its own quiet way, for Eva Jacobi.
The Germans still call it Sommermärchen – the summer fairy tale.
A moment when a country opened its doors wide, welcoming the world with a blend of warmth, pride, structure and joyful hospitality that surprised even itself.
Eva volunteered at the tournament.
Those days became the first small but meaningful steps on a path that would ultimately lead her into global football development.
“That World Cup touched something deep inside us,” Eva says.
“It wasn’t about what we organised – it was the feeling of having the whole world as our guest and showing that Germany can be structured and incredibly welcoming.
"We grew confident, we embraced the official slogan – Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden – and we sang the anthem with a happiness I had never felt before.”
Trust the journey
Eva’s path into football was never an obvious career plan.
After returning from Australia, her first professional steps led her to the German Olympic Sports Confederation, working in its Brussels office.
Shortly after, she joined 1. FFC Frankfurt – Germany’s most successful and most iconic women’s football club at the time.
“Sport has always been the place where I found self-confidence most naturally,” Eva says.
“But it was never a straight plan. Opportunities just appeared – one after another – and I followed them with curiosity.”
After one season with 1. FFC Frankfurt, Eva received an offer to move to the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB).
What followed was a remarkable 17-year journey across multiple areas of responsibility:
- development of women’s football
- team management for the U 23 Women’s National Team
- international relations and cooperation with Member Associations worldwide
- leading socially relevant international projects in close collaboration with German governmental bodies
In 2024, she transitioned into a new chapter, beginning freelance work for FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme, supporting national football federations around the world in identifying and nurturing young talent.
“I deeply believe that sport and cultural gatherings allow humans to connect through something universal,” Eva says.
“Football is loved everywhere – in every culture, in every corner of the world. It builds bridges instantly. That unifying power still moves me.”
The Australian chapter
Long before her international football career, Eva studied at UniSC in 2005 as part of a partnership with Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln, one of Germany’s most renowned sports universities.
She had almost completed her degree in Cologne.
A full year in Australia felt unrealistic – financially, practically, emotionally.
She thought her mother would insist she stay in Germany and start her career.
But the opposite happened – her mother encouraged her to go.
Eva spent a year living in Maroochydore – studying, surfing, travelling, and experiencing an extraordinary sense of balance.
She later returned to Australia briefly on a tourist visa to complete an internship with Fresh PR under Maya Gurry – a UniSC alumna and one of her former lecturers – before heading back to Germany to volunteer for the 2006 World Cup.
Twenty years later
Two decades after her study abroad year, Eva returned to UniSC with her family.
Standing on campus again, she felt the same sense of belonging she remembered.
“It felt like being part of a community,” Eva says.
“We knew our teachers by name, and they knew us. It felt like a big family. I’m proud to have been part of UniSC.”
She adds: “The way of living I experienced in Australia – that balance, that warmth, that feeling of being part of the country as a student – I’ve never experienced it anywhere else again.
"Every UniSC student can be proud to learn in such a place.”
Even as the campus has grown and evolved, the spirit Eva remembers – the friendliness, the familiarity, the community feel – remains unchanged.
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