The FIGC has launched “Speak Out! Il calcio racconta”, a new web series that highlights the extraordinary ability of Italy’s most followed and played sport to engage with society, from several different perspectives.

Football is not only a game, but also a form of pop-culture and an exceptional tool for bringing people together; it’s a universal language capable of uniting different generations. For this reason, the FIGC has created a ten-episode series, published on its sustainability platform sostenabilia.it (running with one episode per week, starting today), in which the central figures discuss experiences and projects touching on key themes of contemporary society: respect, inclusion, legality, health protection, education and social redemption.

The strength of football lies not only in its competitive and spectacular element, but above all in its social value: it is a space for meeting, sharing and mutual recognition, where social, economic and cultural differences can give way to a sense of common belonging. In the FIGC’s vision, football encourages dialogue and helps build relationships, particularly in more fragile and marginalised contexts.

In this spirit, Speak Out! Il calcio racconta aims to contribute to positive social change. It is a demonstration of how football, even away from the pitch, can provide opportunities for dialogue and growth. The narrative structure is simple: ten pairs of figures from sport, entertainment, culture and civil society share stories of courage and determination, revealing their emotions and vulnerabilities without filters.

“Thanks to its enormous visibility, the passion it inspires and its ease of communication,” said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, “football is perfectly placed to spread positive, educational and social messages. We are a powerful agent of cultural development and we also offer ourselves as a tool to promote projects that do not originate on football pitches but which, once connected to our world, help build a more aware, supportive and participatory society.”

Episodes of Speak Out! Il calcio racconta:

Episode 1: “Futuro in Campo” – Luca Zingaretti and Eugenia Carfora
Zingaretti meets Carfora, the headteacher who transformed the Morano Institute in Caivano into a centre of excellence and a symbol of hope and legality. Since November 2023, she has been involved in a school-to-work programme with the FIGC at the Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano. It is not simply a dialogue between friends, but the story of a dream that has become reality, exploring the daily challenge of rescuing young people from the streets through education.

Episode 2: “Non mi fermo. Sport e diabete” – Massimo Ambrosini and Alice Degradi
Ambrosini, an Azzurri legend appearing here as a father, meets Degradi, an Italian volleyball star, to discuss Type 1 diabetes. What happens when the challenge of sport meets that of life? Their dialogue reveals the fears of a parent and the determination of an athlete, showing how sport and prevention can transform a diagnosis into the motivation to keep going.

Episode 3: “Roba da matti” – Santo Rullo and Volfango De Biasi
Director De Biasi meets psychiatrist Rullo, creator of the Italian national football team for people with mental health conditions, to talk about the experience of Crazy for Football. It is not only about cinema and sport, but about using football to overcome every barrier.

Episode 4: “Bullo, ti scrivo” – Leonardo Bonucci and Mirko Cazzato
Bonucci, European champion with Italy’s football team in 2021, meets Cazzato, founder of MABASTA! Movimento Anti Bullismo Animato da Studenti Adolescenti, to address the issue of bullying. Bonucci shares his personal experience as a victim when he was a child, explaining how that wound inspired him to write a book to help others facing the same situation.

Episode 5: “Una squadra, un quartiere” – Massimo Vallati and Massimiliano Monnanni
From the Calciosociale project in Corviale to the work of Asilo Savoia in Montespaccato, the episode tells the story of two Roman neighbourhoods that chose not to surrender. In Montespaccato a football club was confiscated from organised crime and returned to the community as a centre for legality and social life.

Episode 6: “Yes, we can” – Giorgio Chiellini and Iacopo Fossi
Chiellini, former captain of the Italy national team and a European champion in 2021, and Fossi show how football can become a powerful tool for inclusion. Through initiatives such as Insuperabili and Quarto Tempo Firenze, young people with disabilities experience sport with the same dignity and pride as professional players.

Episode 7: “Oltre le barriere” – Gianluca Guida and Romolo Cimini
Guida, director of the juvenile detention centre on Nisida, meets Cimini, a prison officer who coaches a futsal team made up of inmates at the Lanciano prison, which competes in an official amateur league. The episode explores how football can offer a path towards responsibility, growth and reintegration.

Episode 8: “La storia siamo noi” – Matteo Marani and Silvia Marrara
Marani, president of the Fondazione Museo del Calcio, and Marrara, head of the Sports Diplomacy Office at Italy’s Foreign Ministry, discuss how sport can be used to tell Italy’s story around the world, linking football heritage with international cultural promotion.

Episode 9: “Rinascite” – Roberta Beolchi and Andrea Carnevale
Beolchi, president of the Associazione Edela, and former Italy international Carnevale address the tragedy of femicide and the fate of the children left behind. Carnevale recounts his own experience after the murder of his mother, describing how football became a path to redemption and responsibility.

Episode 10: “Oltre il silenzio” – Vincenzo Fuoco and Rocco Briganti
The final episode focuses on safeguarding young athletes. Fuoco, a coach within the FIGC youth sector, and Briganti, safeguarding officer at Atalanta BC, discuss the importance of creating safe and transparent sporting environments where the wellbeing of young players is protected.