Another stage of the "Passion for football makes no distinction" project by Gillette – the razor brand leader that has always been side by side with the world of sport and men – in collaboration with the FIGC has begun, underlining and strengthening support for the Azzurre  and Women's football in general, ahead of their involvement in the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

For the initiative, Gillette will be match sponsor for the friendly between Italy and Morocco at the Stadio Paolo Mazza in Ferrara on Saturday 1 July in what is the Azzurre's final match before their World Cup campaign begins. The objective for the razor brand is to provide a positive cultural impact on the perception of Women's football in Italy and support the whole movement in overcoming prejudice, that unfortunately still exists today.

Fathers, who together with their families have contributed positively to supporting their daughters in becoming footballers, will be able to watch on from pitchside for the first time ever. The decision to involve them comes from the key message in Gillette and FIGC's project “Passion for football makes no distinctions”, which refers to enthusiasts of this sport both on and off the pitch, but most of all to families, and fathers especially, who are either Bombers or Kings. In fact, despite the ever-increasing popularity of women's football, prejudice still exists strongly today, particularly among parents. According to research, results found by Gillette and the Institute of Social Research and Eumetra Marketing show that 50% of parents believe football is not correct for young girls, specifying one of the reasons is because it is a contact sport.

The project by Gillette and the FIGC kicks off an important year for women's football, which will see the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup take place in Australia and New Zealand, starting from 20 July. As well as sponsoring the friendly between Italy and Morocco and supporting the Azzurre in their World Cup campaign, Gillette has also started an online social media campaign #tifapertuafiglia (#supportyourdaughter), in which the brand and players from the Women's National team - Lisa Boattin, Barbara Bonansea, Valentina Giacinti, Laura Giuliani, Manuela Giugliano and Elena Linari – have challenged every father in Italy to make a video of themselves playing football with their daughter(s); the winner will win a trip to New Zealand to to watch a game in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

But that's not all! Once the World Cup is over, Gillette will continue to support the game through a series of events and activities across the whole country with the aim of showcasing football to children and their families. Starting from the end of September, together with the FIGC's Youth and Education Sector, Gillette will set up an event called “Play Days” in every Italian region, that will see over 2000 kids from primary and secondary schools involved and who are part of the FIGC's Youth and Education Sector. The events, that aim to make positive relationships between children, families and local organisations, will take place inside local football clubs with sports games, small-sided football games and challenges all on offer.

For further information on the “Passion for football makes no distinction” project, click HERE (in Italian)