An afternoon of sport, dialogue and shared values animated the Training Center of SSC Napoli, where the eighteenth stage of the Philadelphia Junior Cup | Keep Racism Out, the national 7-a-side football tournament dedicated to the under 14s of the oratories of the cities of the Enilive Serie A.
The protagonists of the meeting were two well-known faces of Italian football: Juan Jesus and Pasquale Mazzocchi, defenders of SSC Napoli, who enthusiastically welcomed the young people of Oratorio San Nunzio Sulprizio, sharing with them profound reflections on friendship, respect, teamwork and the fight against racism.
Central themes of a sports and educational project promoted by Philadelphia, a historic brand of the Mondelēz International Group – title sponsor of the twelfth edition of the tournament – in collaboration with the Lega Serie A and the Centro Sportivo Italiano. During the meeting, the young footballers gave Jesus and Mazzocchi a shirt with the message “Football is friendship”, a symbol of the tournament and its mission: to use sport as a tool to unite and break down all forms of discrimination.
In exchange, the two Neapolitan defenders autographed the official “Philadelphia Junior Cup | Keep Racism Out” uniform, which was then given to the captains of the oratory team. The day was enriched by the participation of key figures from the sports and institutional world: Albino Rossi, coach of the Under 13 Pro of SSC Napoli, Erinda Gorenca, CSR Officer of the Club, Oumar Daffe of the Corporate Social Responsibility Office of the Lega Serie A and Giovanni Mauriello, President of CSI Napoli.
All together they reaffirmed the educational value of sport, especially in the age group between 12 and 14 years, a true breeding ground for future citizens even before athletes. The tournament, which started last February with the provincial stages, will continue in the coming months with the regional and interregional stages, which will decree the eight best teams. The finalists will fly to Rome, where they will compete on the prestigious lawn of the Stadio Olimpico, a few hours after the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa final.
In parallel to the competitions, the boys take part in training activities, organised in the sports centres of the teams. Serie A. Special meetings with footballers, trainers, psychologists and experts, to tackle together the issue of the fight against discrimination, in line with the national campaign Keep Racism Out, promoted by Lega Serie A with the support of UNAR – National Office Against Racial Discrimination of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
Article published on 11 April 2025 - 19:33
The event that took place at the Training Center was really interesting, the boys were able to meet famous footballers. It is important to talk about respect and friendship in sports, especially for young people who grow up in this context.