Tottenham star Xavi Simons has been accepted to study at Harvard Business School. The Dutch forward has been sidelined since rupturing his ACL in April, an injury which saw him miss out on representing the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup.
He has made good use of his time off, travelling in the United States to work with specialists. As he is set to remain sidelined until the new year, Simons has now confirmed he has been accepted into a remote programme at the Harvard Business School catered to professional athletes.
Announcement on LinkedIn
He confirmed the news in a post on LinkedIn, writing: “I’m going back to school.”
“During my recovery, I’ve been trying to use my time in the best way possible. Football is still my main focus, but I also want to keep learning and improving away from the pitch.”
“I’m happy to share that I’ve been accepted onto the Crossover Into Business Program at Harvard Business School. It’s an online program where professional athletes learn more about business alongside HBS MBA students.”
Interest in business
Simons added: “I’ve always been interested in more than just football. I want to understand the business side of the game better, learn from people in different industries and keep developing as a person.”
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve spent time on both the East Coast and West Coast in the U.S., meeting new people and seeing different ways of working. It’s given me a lot of new ideas.”
Simons spent time in Boston, the city which plays host to Harvard, while recovering from his ACL injury, spending time with both the Boston Celtics basketball team and Boston Bruins ice hockey team.
Following in footsteps of Chelsea greats
In undertaking his studies at Harvard, he follows in the footsteps of two Spanish Chelsea greats, Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata. Azpilicueta is a fellow business student, but Mata took a degree in entertainment, media and sports.
Simons is said to be progressing well in his recovery from ACL surgery, and it is hoped he will be back in contention for Roberto De Zerbi’s side in the earlier end of the anticipated return window.
