The emotion was palpable and was reflected in the smiles that were anything but forced. They could be seen on the faces of the guests attending the first day of the Azzurri's training camp at Coverciano, as well as on those of the players themselves. It was a day full of emotion, sending shivers down everyone's spine. The feeling was as intense as the rain falling lightly over the pitch named after ‘Vittorio Pozzo’, where Roberto Mancini's players were about to begin their first training session of the camp. Before taking to the field, however, there was time for photographs with the visitors, making this Monday a celebration of inclusion and togetherness, with hugs conveying as much warmth and positivity as possible.

Francesca, Kean and Leonardo, three young survivors of the Crans-Montana tragedy, arrived at Coverciano late in the morning. After a tour of the Centro Tecnico Federale, which also included a visit to the Football Museum, they had the chance to meet the head coach. Roberto Mancini joked with them and spent time chatting before presenting each of the three with a shirt bearing the name of their favourite player. He was joined by Club Italia president Claudio Ranieri and Azzurri team manager Gabriele Oriali. The three then had lunch with the Azzurri and another special guest, Paralympic swimmer Luca Da Prato, a European and world champion, who was accompanied by Roberto Bonanni, team leader and head coach of the Italian Paralympic swimming team.

Around lunchtime, another team arrived at Coverciano, bringing with them a trophy won in England last July. It was the CP National Team, winners of the World Championship in their first international tournament since FIGC was recognised as a Paralympic federation. The trophy was presented at the Football Museum and will now become part of a collection charting more than a century of Azzurri history.

It was then time to head to the training pitches, with the session about to begin. Among those watching were Daniele Cassioli and several athletes from Real Eyes Sport ASD, a sports association dedicated to promoting sport among people with visual impairments.

Before training got underway, there was time for photographs, where everyone was together. These were not formal, obligatory snapshots, just as the smiles and hugs were anything but routine; they were genuine moments, capturing a truly enriching day for everyone involved.