Italian football legend Roberto Baggio promoting the Italia Soccer Camp in Belgrade
For the fifth straight year, Banca Intesa will support the organization of Italia Soccer Camp in Serbia, this year in partnership with insurance company DDOR Novi Sad. The camp will provide boys and girls aged 7-14 with a unique opportunity to learn about the skills and secrets of this sport by working with the best Italian coaches.
A press conference was organized at the Italian Cultural Centre to announce the fifth season of Italian Soccer Camp, with speakers such as H.E. Carlo Lo Cascio, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Serbia, Draginja Đurić, President of the Executive Board of Banca Intesa, Giorgio Marchegiani, Chairman of the Executive Board of DDOR Novi Sad, Marco Schembri, CEO of World Camp International Srl, the Italian company organizing the Camp, Rosario Strano, Chief Operating Officer of Intesa Sanpaolo Group, Vittorio Petrone, soccer manager of Roberto Baggio and Roberto Baggio himself, the legendary Italian football player, while the conference was moderated by famous Serbian journalist and sports commentator Aleksandar Stojanović.
“As a part of the Italian Intesa Sanpaolo Group, Banca Intesa is dedicated to supporting the population and economy through innovative services and products and to promotion and exchange between Italian and local values in the areas of culture, art and sports. Aligned with such determination, we have supported the organization of the Italia Soccer Club for kids for the 5th consecutive year, as we believe that this is how we can contribute to affirmation of future athlete generations,” said Draginja Đurić, President of the Executive Board of Banca Intesa.
“I am very proud of this initiative we are carrying out together with Banca Intesa for the first time. The reasons are threefold: by doing this, we are doing something nice for the youth in Serbia, which is, promoting sports values through a “global language” of football; we have the opportunity to welcome the big promoter of football, Roberto Baggio, and show him our beautiful country; we spread to Serbia the corporate values of Unipol Group, the leading Italian non-life insurance group. In addition to the numerous other sports initiatives, I would like to remind everyone that DDOR is the official insurance of the Serbian Olympic Committee and the Serbian team, while Unipol is the main sponsor of the Italian Olympic Committee”, said Giorgio Marchegiani, Chairman of the Executive Board at DDOR Novi Sad.
“It´s my pleasure to be here to launch this event which gives talented guys the chance to be awarded and maybe discovered as the future Serbian champions”, said Roberto Baggio, the official testimonial of the project and legendary footballer who played for several Italian football clubs and who is the fourth best scorer in the history of Italian national team.
“We perceive Italia Soccer Camp as a significant investment into children across Europe. Thanks to Banca Intesa Beograd and DDOR that believed in this project and gave their support, the event will be free of charge for all the participants“, said Marco Schembri, CEO of World Camp International.
Once again this year, the three most talented camp participants will get an opportunity to visit Italy and attend the Italia Soccer Camp Day, together with kids from other countries. Young football players will get to hang out for three days at the Coverciano Academy training ground, and boys and girls who get selected will not only get to enjoy the trainings, matches, special courses, visiting the Italian Football Museum and a Serie A match, but they will also get to experience other interesting content, through which they will learn the secrets of football, receive practical advice and acquire numerous skills that make real football superstars.
The camp will take place from June 24-28, 2019 at the football courts in Ada Ciganlija, Belgrade, and it will include technical, physical and tactical trainings. The Italia Soccer Camp, recognized among the public for its educational and fun character, is a project which gathers former Italian national football team members. This year, during the last week of June, as many as five top-level Italian coaches will hang out with the young football prospects, teaching them the secrets of the art of football.
Roberto Baggio is an Italian football legend who started his career in Serie A team Fiorentina, helping his club reach the UEFA Cup finals in 1990. Later he played for Juventus, A.C. Milan and Bologna, and he finished his career in Brescia. Up until 2004, he played for the Italian national team, and in 2011 he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. He came fourth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, behind Maradona, Pelé and Eusébio.