The President of the Italian Football Federation, Gabriele Gravina, and the National Team Coach, Luciano Spalletti, were among the speakers at the 'Sport Human Factor' conference. They discussed the impact of the 'human factor' on athletes' performance and club performance, promoted in Rome by the Italian Footballers' Association and the Italian Coaches' Association.

The event aimed to focus attention on the so-called 'environmental fatigue,' namely the impact that the professional and human environment has on athletes. "The footballer is considered not only in his human frailties but above all as a subject who requires centrality of respect in his dignity as a human being, considering him less as a means of production and more as one of the fundamental protagonists within a design process that deserves the utmost assurance and protection", emphasised Gravina. "I believe that initiating an awareness-raising process will make each of us more responsible, also enlightening those who are particularly involved in setting up not only national but also international calendars".

For Gravina, it is important to have "initiated an in-depth analysis on a particularly delicate issue. Today, what is required as a central element of the activity of an atypical company like football is to try to focus attention not only on performance indicators but also on evaluations that place human interest at the center as such. I believe that today we are moving towards the enhancement of a different sensitivity, which is care understood as the ability to develop and take care of human capital, ensuring maximum guarantee of safety and health protection, as well as repositioning one of the company's elements, such as the footballer, in a more correct manner".

"Having a good relationship with the players is fundamental because we need the athletes to win," continued Spalletti. "Fatigue is almost always mental rather than physical, even when we look at injuries, many occur when teams are not achieving results. I always ask for a briefing from my players, and I must believe what they tell me. It's essential to make players understand the importance of playing but also the importance of recovery".

At the conference, opened by the President of the National Federation of the Press, Vittorio di Trapani, and moderated by AIC's General Director, Gianni Grazioli. Also in attendance were AIC President Umberto Calcagno, AIAC Federal Councilor Mario Beretta, Andrea Sartori (founder of AD Football Benchmark), and Pierre Lanfranchi (Director of the SAFF Research Center – Emeritus Professor at DeMontfort University Leicester).

"Putting the footballer back at the center," commented AIC President Umberto Calcagno, "is finally an agreed concept. Having signed a document with FIFPro and European Leagues on calendars and having sent it to FIFA means that we are making an important leap in quality. Today, there can be no opposition between the economic aspect and the health of the players. It is no longer a union issue, but preserving the physical and mental health of the apex of our world also means preserving the economic aspects. Without losing sight of the solidarity aspect because finally, we are also talking about how to better distribute the resources created by the system. Preserving and putting the player back at the center also means putting the sporting aspect back at the center because we must bear in mind that football is not only about major competitions".