In memory of one of the strongest attackers of all time, Gigi Riva, and in the presence of one of the best strikers in the world right now, Kylian Mbappé, the first edition of the ‘Globe Soccer Europe Awards’ was held in the beautiful setting of the Hotel Cala di Volpe in Arzachena last night. It was an evening that saw Luciano Spalletti and Gianluigi Buffon receive special awards for their respective

Spalletti started off by talking about Gigi Riva and Claudio Ranieri, two legends of Sardinian football, before moving on to his European Championship expectations. On Friday, Italy will meet up at Coverciano to start their preparations for the continental tournament, which, for Italy, will kick off against Albania in Dortmund on 15 June: “We’re making our preparations. Those that have come before us have shown us the way, and we need to be ready to live up to all the affection and love there is for the Azzurri jersey.”

Meanwhile, Gigi Buffon was recognised for his extraordinary playing career, during which he made 176 appearances for his country. Now in a new role, Buffon will soon return to Germany where he lifted the World Cup trophy 18 years ago: “In recent years, thanks to the Federation, I’ve started a journey that I really like, and I’ve dedicated myself to my training. For me, it’s wonderful that I’ll be returning to Germany as the Delegation Head, and it’s fantastic that I’m beginning this new adventure with a group of exceptional lads and a high-quality team. I think we’ll have our say at the Euros; history suggests that this will be the case, and I also believe in the quality of this National Team and our Head Coach, who is a real asset.” Being such a great champion, Buffon wants to demonstrate his value away from the pitch, too: “I have a particular wish: to come back in a few years to pick up another award for the work I’ll do as a director.”

This morning, Lega Serie A, in collaboration with Smeralda Holding, hosted the ‘Globe Soccer Forum’. The first session featured Federal President Gabriele Gravina, Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo and La Liga Vice President Quico Catalan: the topics of financial sustainability, the importance of high-quality infrastructure and threats to traditional revenue sources were all discussed.