In the elegant setting of Villa Madama in Rome, the President of the FIGC Gabriele Gravina and the Head Coach of the national team Luciano Spalletti participated at the launch event of the ‘Giornata dello Sport Italiano nel Mondo’. To present the first edition of the new thematic showcase - which, from this year, will enrich the yearly appointment calendar of integrated promotions of MAECI’s headquarters abroad, and will be put in the calendar in the second half of September - the Vice President of the Italian Cabinet and Minister of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, and the Minister of Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, were all present.

Tajani explained; “The objective is to make Italy count in the world, not just through politics and diplomacy. There are millions of Italian Ambassadors, all different types that operate abroad: businessmen, athletes and soldiers, for example. Relying more on them means aiding Italy’s growth and developing the role that the country plays in the world. It would be naive to do this purely through politics. We need to call on all Italians who ‘speak’ to foreigners”.

The minister was in the company of many present champions, from the Paralympian Manuel Bortuzzo, fencers Rossella Fiamingo and Alberta Santuccio, tennis star Elisabetta Cocciraretto to the Italian american coach and ex-baseball player Mike Piazza: “I am very proud to have achieved some brilliant results for our country, of representing the Tricolore in the furthest corners of the world”.

“Today is a special day - Minister Abodi stated - because it’s not just a day, but it’s the first step in a daily journey. The thing that’s changing the pace is our awareness of the value of sport. We shouldn’t think of sport as a territory of conflict, it should be a ground to bring people together and discuss. The Paralympics, alongside the Olympics, have done this and it is a sort of heritage that we shouldn’t forget or lose”.

Days after the two victories in the Nations League against France and Israel, Luciano Spalletti, speaking as an ambassador for Italian sport around the world, explained the importance of teamwork in sport and also in life: “I get emotional easily and being the Head Coach of the National Team is a permanent emotion. I see myself as a person who has to show their commitment every day for this sport. There is a place where a group of people can strike a balance and can work tirelessly: this place, called ‘team’, is the foundation from which one can be successful. Then there are phenomena and exceptional talents that go the extra mile”.