CIB Italia Soccer Camp Is Back

After two years of forced hiatus due to the pandemic, the CIB Italia Soccer Camp will resume in Budapest, between June 20-24 thanks to the support of Generali Foundation for Safety. This year, pupils from schools in socially less advantaged municipalities will take part in the training sessions of Italian coaches, who are coming to Hungary to further develop the skills of young Hungarian footballers and to teach them the most advanced methods of football. The star guest of the event will be Alessandro Del Piero, the legend of Juventus and the Italian national team.

About 120 young footballers aged 10-14 will further develop their skills and learn about top-football training methods at the CIB Italia Soccer Camp again. A new feature of this year's camp is that it will be attended by pupils from schools located in municipalities where children's access to sport is limited. Thanks to the support of CIB Bank, its parent bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Generali the camp is free of charge for the participants, and the three most talented children will also be invited to a football camp in Italy, where they will continue to train with other talents from abroad. The three youngsters will also be accompanied by their families. Among other engaging programs, the selected winners will play training matches, and watch a Serie A match. The Hungarian Student Sports Association is helping to select the children, who will come from within a 70-kilometer radius of the capital, a press release by the bank says.

The camp is an unrivalled experience and a chance for young footballers to develop their skills, as it gives them an insight into the world of international football. "With this initiative, we wanted to give a chance to talented players who might not necessarily be able to participate in such a highly professional training program. The camp is completely free of charge for the children taking part, precisely so that financial considerations are not an obstacle," the Chairman and CEO of CIB Bank Dr. Pál Simák, stressed.

According to Marco Elio Rottigni, Chief of International Subsidiary Banks Division at Intesa Sanpaolo, “the initiatives announced today confirms the commitment of Intesa Sanpaolo to Hungary both as a thriving business environment and as a society as a whole. In our last business plan, recently announced, the Group confirmed to commit in the period 2022-2025 funds for around EUR115 billion to communities and green transition along with €500 million in support of people in need. Accordingly, strong is our endeavor in each local market where we are present. Of huge relevance today, is also our fruitful partnership with the Generali Group, indeed two really prominent players in their home country Italy, as well as in Europe, which are joining forces both for socially impacting initiatives and to provide opportunities for protection that will be given to all our customers, including individuals, families and enterprises, thanks to products that are being released over the next months.”

Since its initial launch, the CIB Italia Soccer Camp program has been bringing selected Italian football stars, including former world champions, to Hungary. Most recently, it hosted Franco Baresi, one of the world's best defenders. Italy's men's national football team has won four World Cups and Serie A is one of the strongest and most famous leagues in the world. The country has always placed great emphasis on youth development, and Italian coaches often run courses not only within the country but also beyond, bringing new talent to international football. The football camp in Hungary is an exceptional opportunity for local football talents to learn techniques and methods that are known to take Italian football to the top of the world. As always, the children will be insured by Generali, while Generali Foundation for Safety has joined the initiative as a sponsor and co-organiser too.

In connection with the camp Gianluca Colocci, Chief Corporate Development Officer of Generali CEE Holding called attention to common values and directions: “With its participation in the Soccer Camp, Generali continues its tradition and commitment to support initiatives that promote a culture of solidarity and social inclusion. We are twofold proud to strengthen the bond with local communities unlocking the people potential through the programs run by our foundation and to reinforce our existing partnership with Intesa Sanpaolo Group in Hungary. Our strategic goal is to become Lifetime partner of our customers offering tailor-made solutions and we are proud to be offering also to CIB (Intesa Sanpaolo) customers flexible solutions to meet their evolving life-cycle needs and further protect individuals, families and companies.”

According to Gergely Horváth, member of the board of trustees of the Generali Foundation for Safety, the social arm of Generali Group in Hungary who aim to creating opportunities for physical and mental development for children, ”with our comprehensive and ever-expanding programs, we are focusing on the next generation, because we want every child to be able to develop their abilities in the environment in which they live. We strongly believe that with our tools we have to create an opportunity for development: with our support, the Hungarian young teenager football players even from disadvantaged circumstances can show and develop their skills at the Italian Soccer Camp this year.”

This time, the star guest of the event will be Alessandro Del Piero, the Italian football world champion. Del Piero, a 91-time national team player, has spent the majority of his professional football career with Juventus FC, where he played as an adult player from 1993 until 2012. He played a total of 513 league games for Juventus, scoring 208 goals and making his 700th appearance for the club in 2012. He won 6 league titles with Juventus, the Italian Cup in 1995 and the Champions League in 1996. He was a member of the national team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Speaking about the children selected for the CIB Italia Soccer Camp, Gábor Balogh, President of the Hungarian Association of Student Sports, said that "thanks to our more than three decades of experience in the field of school sports, the most talented young people from disadvantaged communities will be able to participate in the camp. In the selection process, we focus on equal opportunities and social aspects in addition to talent management."

Marco Schembri, head of World Camp International Srl, the organizer of the football camp, added that "I would like to thank CIB Bank for making it possible for the fourth time for young Hungarian footballers to develop their talents while enjoying unforgettable experiences. Although we speak different languages, football – wherever we live in the world – brings us all together."

Alessandro Del Piero pointed out that "I am here today in Budapest, because together with CIB Bank we strongly believe in sport values. Young players who attend the Italia Soccer Camp will get the opportunity to train themselves using the methods of top Italian official technical staff. If we note some kids with particular interesting talent during the event, we will follow them carefully, offering them the opportunity to show their skills in Italy.”