MILAN CUP 2024: THE ROSSONERI FOOTBALL SCHOOL CELEBRATION IS BACK | OneFootball

After last year's extraordinary experience in Emilia-Romagna, the Milan Cup, now in its tenth edition, is returning to Cattolica.

The previous welcome prompted the Club to once again involve an area of the country that is as hospitable as it is passionate. From here, passion for the Rossoneri shirt is transmitted through football, the game belonging to the young athletes, the coaches and educators, and the fans. It is the glue that holds together millions of pieces of a great mosaic, just like the Milan Academy project in Italy and throughout the world.

From Friday 14 to Sunday 16 June, 750 young girls and boys will gather at the Stadio Giorgio Calbi in Cattolica, Emilia-Romagna. Joining them at the Milan Cup 2024 by Banco BPM, during which 196 matches are scheduled to take place, will be 100 coaches from 48 Rossoneri Football Schools and Technical Centres affiliated with AC Milan. The tournament will see players from the Primi Calci (2015-2016) and Pulcini (2013-2014) age groups take centre stage. The youngsters will be accompanied by their families, meaning a wonderful gathering of around 2000 people is expected. Just like last year, this edition will feature three non-Italian Football Schools from India, Romania and Switzerland, a reflection of AC Milan's international nature.

The event, which will bring the Academy season to an end, further testifies to the importance that the Club, together with its partners and, in particular, Banco BPM, places on developing talent and transmitting the values that AC Milan and the entire Academy project aim to pass on to the newest generations. An athlete is not just an athlete but, first and foremost, a person who lives within a community, and it is the task of those who work with young people to help them grow as sportsmen and women, as professionals and as citizens who will be able to make a positive impact.

The Milan Cup is synonymous with inclusivity. Thanks to the activities by Fondazione Milan, and the involvement of the Sociale Ca'Santino Coop and the Davide Pacassoni Association, a football match will be played on the first day of the event, at 17:00 CEST, which will involve young people with disabilities from the two associations together with some girls and boys from Cattolica Calcio, who are providing their sports facility for the entire tournament.

This will be followed by the opening ceremony with a parade of banners by all the participating football teams. The theme chosen by the Club for this tenth edition is Health & Well-being, taken from one of the themes of UEFA’s ten-year campaign, which aims to activate and promote collective action to respect Human Rights and the environment within European football. The most powerful banner will be displayed at San Siro during a fixture in the 2024/25 season and will become the slogan of the next Milan Cup, which in this edition sees the participants playing and having fun under the message: "Play, passion, humility, football beats diversity."

Like every inaugural event, it will be presented by the Rossoneri actor and speaker, Gegio, who will be joined by Sara Federico. The Milan Cup will officially kick off when the girls and boys have taken the traditional oath of fair play, which will then be followed by a dancing show. The opening ceremony will end with speeches by the Brand Ambassador, Daniele Massaro, member of the Women's First Team, Kamila Dubcová, and the Primavera footballer, Mattia Malaspina.

Instead, on Saturday 15 June, a delegation from the Academy will have the opportunity to see our national team's opening game at the European Championship, Italy vs. Albania, in Piazza Primo Maggio where the Municipality of Cattolica has set up a giant screen. Innovation also enters the Milan Cup thanks to the ES YOUTH app, where results, rankings and matches can be followed in real time.