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Event on football and sports diplomacy of Italy and Croatia, 11.6.2024.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, an international conference on football and sports diplomacy took place between Italy and Croatia at the Faculty of Law of the University of Rijeka. The Event was organised by the Institute for Sports Law, Sports Policies and Sports Diplomacy and the Jean Monnet Chair in EU Sports Law, Policy & Diplomacy. Memorabilia of the legendary Paolo Rossi (golden ball for the best player in the world, golden shoe for the top scorer of the World Cup, jersey of the 1982 World Champion...) were exhibited and presented by his widow Dr. Federica Cappelletti, President of the Serie A of women's professional football at the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Memorabilia of Croatian football legend Zvonimir Boban (AC Milan jersey, trophy for the second-best young player in the world, etc.) was also displayed, as well as the jerseys of legends such as Roberto Baggio and Alen Bokšić and the jerseys of HNK Rijeka and all Italian Serie A teams, as well as the signed jerseys of Croatian internationals Marijo Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić and Martin Erlić. The jerseys of the Croatian and Italian national teams, in which both teams will appear at the upcoming European Football Championship in Germany, were also a special feature.

The auspices were given by: The Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Croatia, the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in Croatia, the Consulate General of the Republic of Italy in Rijeka, the City of Rijeka, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Serie A, the Croatian Football Federation, EDIT & La Voce del popolo, the Paolo Rossi Foundation and the World Football Collection.

The audience was welcomed by Mayor of the City of Rijeka Marko Filipović, Director of Sports Administration of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Croatia Krešimir Šamija, Ph.D., Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law in Rijeka Assoc. Prof. Igor Martinović, Vice-Rector for Studies, Students and Quality Assurance of the University of Rijeka Prof. Marta Žuvić, Vice-President of the Croatian Football Federation Damir Mišković, Italian Union President Maurizio Tremul and Chairman of the Executive Council Marin Corva, Ms. Patrizia Ruggiero spoke on behalf of the Consulate General of the Republic of Italy in Rijeka. The meeting was opened by H. E. Paolo Trichilo, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy in Croatia.

The speakers at the meeting were: Prof. Lorenzo Casini, president of Serie A, high officials of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Prof. Giancarlo Viglione and Prof. Giuseppe Chine; Croatian Football Federation Secretary Vladimir Iveta, Prof. Jacopo Tognon (Universty of Padova), Associate Professor Vanja Smokvina (University of Rijeka), Prof. Marinko Lazzarich (University of Rijeka), Prof. Vanni D'Alessio (University of Napoli) and the author of the book El balon Fiuman - calcio a Fiume, Luca Dibenedetto.

The meeting marked the day of sports diplomacy in football, specifically sports diplomacy between Croatia and Italy through Italian and Croatian football, with a little look back at Rijeka and the football that was played here in the 1920s when the local club Fiumana played in the Italian Serie A. What used to divide us - politics, wars, sport can bring us together. Sport and football can unite our two peoples and our two countries, that is the real message of the meeting. Of course, the event was also a kind of introduction to the UEFA European Football Championship, where the Croatian and Italian national teams will play what we now know will be their decisive match in the group for the continuation of the competition - on June 24, 2024.

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