La National go back to Napoli after 10 years: March 23, the Maradona stadium will host the race Italy-England, first challenge of the qualifications a UEFA Euro 2024.
The Italian National Team Returns to Naples: All the Initiatives
For the occasion the city will be painted in blue to welcome the children of coach Roberto Mancini, coming from Coverciano the previous evening.
From the afternoon of March 21st, at around 18pm and until dawn the next day, and again on the following two evenings (22nd and 23rd), the Common di Napoli, on the indication of the mayor Gaetano Manfredi, will illuminate two of the city's symbolic places in blue, the Maschio Angioino , Fontana of the Nettuno in Piazza Municipio.
National Team Players Visit Santobono in Naples
Upon arrival at the Central Station on Wednesday 22 March, a delegation from the National team led by the FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and composed of members of the technical staff and footballers will also go to theSantobono Children's Hospital di Napoli.
The Azzurri will visit the neurosurgery, neurology, neuropsychiatry and neuro-oncology departments to donate footballs, scarves and other National team gadgets to the young patients. The visit follows a path undertaken for years by the FIGC, which led to the National to meet the patients of Pediatric hospitals of the cities hosting the race.
The pre-match also includes the two official conferences of the teams at the stadium: at 18.45 Mancini, at 20pm Southgate, while the last training session is scheduled for the morning of March 22nd for both national teams in their respective Technical Centres, Coverciano e St. George's Park.
At the end of the press conference reserved for Italy, the Mayor Gaetano Manfredi will deliver the medals of the City to the President Gravina, to the CT Mancini and captain of Azzurri in the match.
Italy, special jersey in memory of Gianluca Vialli
In this race, among other things, theItaly will take to the field wearing a special shirt, in which a memento will be inserted for Gianluca vialli, head of the national delegation who passed away last January 6th, who became an example, a point of reference off the pitch and a friend for all the members of the team and the staff.
In March 2018, exactly 5 years ago, the phrase was inserted on the shirt 'Davide always with us 13', in memory of Davide Astori, another Azzurro who suddenly disappeared on the eve of the friendlies with Argentina e England.
A series of activities to involve the public will be planned at the stadium, to create the best atmosphere for a match that less than two years ago awarded the European Cup to Wembley; it is at the 'Maradona', among other things, that the brand theme of the Italian national football teams.
The new logo and the presentation of Oscar, the official mascot
Presented on January 2nd together with the new shield logo, is a real musical system, divided into different elements: the sound soon, which in 3" summarizes the passion for the Azzurri and the Azzurre, the declinations for the various physical and digital touchpoints, up to the full song, entitled 'Azzurri', composed and produced by Henry Giaretta e Maurizio D'Aniello and embellished by the soprano's voice Susanna Rigacci.
Another debut in this race is that of Oscar, mascot of the National Team, a Maremma Sheepdog puppy with a cute and friendly face designed by Carlo Rambaldi, who passed away in 2012, a true master of cinematic special effects, for which he was awarded three Oscars.
In the stands there will be a special representation linked to football activities in the city: the FIGC in fact, he invited some of the participants to two social projects promoted by the Scholas Occurrentes Pontifical Foundation a Napoli, made in collaboration with the Youth sector e FIGC Scholastic.
On the one hand, a group of educators and children engaged in 'Trapo Ball' (rag ball) in the neighborhoods Health e Scampia, which aims to use football, especially among girls, as a tool for aggregation, a project in collaboration with 'Play for Change' e Catholic University of Milan.
On the other hand, some boys from the Juvenile Institute of Nisida who participated in the project 'Light Zone', an educational and training path, which involves Penitentiary Police officers, juvenile prison inmates and sports collaborators of local clubs.
Finally, the presence at the 'Maradona' is expected of approximately 2000 members of the Neapolitan football clubs affiliated with the FIGC. During the match, the FIGC will launch the campaign on the big screen and on the LEDs at the edge of the pitch 'United by the same colors', promoted since 2022 on the occasion of the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination.
EDITORIAL TEAM
Choose the social channel you want to subscribe to