The practice of sport as an opener of doors, football as a privileged instrument to guarantee rights and favour the social inclusion of people with intellectual and relational difficulties: these are the focal points of the memorandum of understanding signed this morning in Via Allegri between the Italian Football Federation and Special Olympics Italia, the national branch of the world organisation founded in the United States of America in 1968, which today involves about 6,000,000 athletes in over 200 countries. An agreement that will allow the FIGC and Special Olympics to agree on specific collaborations to organise sporting and promotional events, with the aim of sharing their experiences and increasingly widening the scope of their respective activities.

This officially marks a twenty-year partnership, which blossomed on 20 November 2002 for the friendly match between Italy and Turkey, during which the Italian national football team, for the first time in its history, took to the field wearing a shirt, that of Special Olympics, in support of a social promotion campaign linked to activities for people with mental disabilities. A sharing of values that has been translated, constantly over the years, into support for the activities of Special Olympics (in particular, with the sponsorship of the "European Football Week", a European event dedicated to Unified Football) and has continued to this day in the common aim of raising public awareness on the theme of respect for diversity. The FIGC, the first Federation in the world to set up a specific Division in 2019 to contribute, through the practice of sport, to improving the lives of people with mental disabilities, will implement this collaboration with the Paralympic and Experimental Football Division (DCPS), chaired by Franco Carraro, which today numbers 105 clubs and more than 2000 registered players.

During the meeting, a strong message highlighting the objective of this convention came from FIGC President Gabriele Gravina: "We are happy to have finally formalised the relationship with Special Olympics, an organisation that has always distinguished itself in concrete actions in favour of social inclusion through sport. The FIGC is committed in this field with conviction and responsibility, we are an institution open to synergic collaborations that go beyond the federal sphere because we strongly believe in the extraordinary multidimensionality of football. Thanks to the DCPS we put ourselves at the service of the community to encourage the practice of football to as many people as possible, we want to break down all the barriers that prevent a girl or a boy from fulfilling their passion'.

Satisfaction and objectives shared by the President of the Paralympic and Experimental Football Division, Franco Carraro: "The memorandum that we have just signed is a further step for the development of the FIGC-DCPS strategy, and will multiply the opportunities that are offered to athletes with disabilities. We are really happy to be able to work with Special Olympics, sure of continuing an innovative path, which will create new ways to practice sport without limits".

The President of Special Olympics Italy, Angelo Moratti, emphasised: 'Not many years ago, people with mental disabilities were exempted from playing sports. Today these same people can have access to any discipline, they can compete in national and world events. They have become Athletes, stars and promoters of a change that goes beyond sport. We believe that virtuous collaborations such as this one can give rise to initiatives of collective interest that contribute concretely to the growth of the country and the promotion of a more inclusive social system'.

The memorandum of understanding between the Italian Football Federation (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio) and Special Olympics Italy is precisely along these lines: to favour and increase the opportunities, linked to the practice of football, for athletes with disabilities. And, at the same time, to promote Unified Football, through which footballers with and without mental disabilities play together in the same team, to foster social inclusion and cultural growth capable of breaking down barriers that still strongly exist today, such as stereotypes and prejudices. Present at the meeting, representing Special Olympics athletes, were Giovanni Rufo and partner athlete Leonardo Vellucci (without mental disabilities): both are part of the unified football team that will participate in the World Games in Berlin (from 12 to 26 June 2023). Italy will participate with a delegation of 142 athletes and coaches.