Crazy for Football’s Italy are European champions

Crazy for Football’s Italy are European champions. The Azzurri, led by coach Enrico Zanchinihave in the Dream European Championship 2024 Triumphs, the European Futsal Championship dedicated to mental health. The Italian national team defeated Hungary this afternoon with a score of 3 to 2, giving the audience at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome an unforgettable experience.

The Dream Euro Cup 2024 was organized by the Non-profit organization ECOS (European Culture Sport and Organization) and financed by the European Commission as part of the ERASMUS+ SPORT program. The event was supported by Rome Capitale and promoted by FIGC, CONI, CIP, Sport e Salute, Lazio Region and Rai for Sustainability-ESG, with the participation of the embassies of the countries involved.

Crazy for Football’s Italy are European champions

For the Dream Euro Cup, which began on Monday September 23rd, great champions of Italian and international football also mobilized: Lorenzo PellegriniDemetrio Albertini, Giuseppe Bergomi and David Trezeguet. Actors Pietro Sermonti and Andrea Sartoretti watched the final from the stands and cheered on Italy. Two European countries took part in the competition: Italy, Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, Iceland, Estonia, Greece, England, Netherlands, Croatia, Finland and Norway.«This victory is the culmination of an extraordinary path – commented coach Enrico Zanchini after the award ceremony – I would like first of all to thank these 13 fantastic guys and then to the people who accompanied me on this wonderful adventure: Riccardo Budoni, Cristian Simina, Filippo Di Maso and Matteo Vitali. Today the boys showed incredible strength and determination. They played with heart and I am proud to be their coach.

This trophy is proof of how much teamwork and passion can lead to extraordinary results. This success is for them». «The Dream Euro Cup is much more than just a sports competition – said Valerio Di Tommaso, President of Ecos – this event shows how Sport is a powerful tool for inclusion and rehabilitation by highlighting the value of mental health and drawing attention to important issues such as integration and the fight against stigma. The participation of so many countries and the passion of the players make this project an example of how sport can change lives. I would like to thank everyone who made this extraordinary event possible».

Social inclusion and rehabilitation project

The national team Crazy For Football, founded by the psychiatrist Santo Rullo, is not just a football team, but represents it a social inclusion project that aims to use sport as a tool for psychiatric rehabilitation and promote an awareness campaign against the stigma associated with mental illness. “Seeing these boys lift the trophy is an immense joy – added Rullo – when we started Crazy for Football the aim was to raise awareness of the importance of sport in psychiatric rehabilitation and today we celebrate a success, that goes far beyond the playing field. This project is a symbol of inclusion and hope, and I am grateful for everyone who believed in it from the beginning.»

On Saturday September 28th, at the end of the tournament, an international scientific workshop entitled “Psychiatric rehabilitation through sport: strategies, tools and best practices” will take place in the CONI boardroom. The workshop is aimed at professionals in the field of mental health and sport and aims to exchange experiences and innovative strategies for integration through sporting activities.