The FIGC are delighted to announce a partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment and have chosen PlayStation as the official console partner of the Italy National Team for all of 2021.

After some massive collaborations with some of the biggest clubs in Italian football for their eSports teams and also following the sponsorship of Supercoppa Italiana - which was named the PS5 Supercup in 2020 - Sony Interactive Entertainment Italia are once again dipping their toes into the world of football. This time, Sony are looking to the community of supporters of the Azzurri, a true symbol of Italian sporting identity.

 “This partnership is a very prestigious one,” said FIGC general secretary Marco Brunelli. “It will allow us to draw closer to the younger generations and to the world of eSports. If it is, in fact, true that our eNational Teams are another vehicle for defending the values of the Azzurri shirt in the gaming community, then I am certain that this collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment will give us a way to reach young people and to bring them into the family of Italian football.”

With the aim of celebrating the Italy national team and, at the same time, one of the sports most beloved by Italians, Sony Interactive Entertainment will host the Azzurri Fans Cup on FIF21 on PlayStation4. The tournament format will consist of four cups and one final. All those interested, and resident in Italy, can register for the tournament from today via the ‘Events-Tournaments’ section on PS4, through https://compete.playstation.com/it-it/play or by visiting https://play.eslgaming.com/italy.

The four Cups will be scheduled as follows:
● Cup 1 – Friday 18/06/2021;
● Cup 2 – Sunday 20/06/2021;
● Cup 3 – Friday 16/07/2021;
● Cup 4 – Thursday 22/07/2021;
● FINAL – Friday 23/07/2021.

Every participant will have the chance to play matches to decide the best performer of the day. Only the top four in each Cup will make it to the FINAL on 23 July. This final will be formed of head-to-heads between the eight finalists, who will need to be at the top of their game if they want to take home the win. Up for grabs, for the winner, is a coaching experience with one of the eNational Team FIFA’s pro players, the chance to spend a day at Coverciano and a 12-month subscription to PlayStationPlus.

Throughout the year, in collaboration with the Italy National Team, Sony Interactive Entertainment and the FIGC will give plenty more opportunities to Italian fans and games – a large and active community, which embodies the values of inclusivity and fair play, and which is vital in continuing to grow the game of football.