The joint effort of Fondazione Milan, Fondazione Snaitech, and Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro has brought to life a new sports facility within the Oratorio della Madonna dei Poveri in Baggio, in the western outskirts of Milan. The project involved the creation of a seven-a-side synthetic football field, which will be equipped with an upgraded fence system to protect it and make it safer and more accessible.
“In gioco per il Futuro” is the name of the initiative presented last June in a public meeting held right next to the old playing field. In less than 150 days, and with the summer season in between, the project went from announcement to demolishing the existing structure and then creating a new one, which will make this vital meeting and recreational point even more welcoming and capable of bringing people together.
Reflecting the high anticipation in the neighbourhood, a large number of people attended the inauguration, which took place on the turf of the new playing space, in the presence of local institutions represented by Martina Riva, Councillor for Sport, Tourism, and Youth Policies of the City of Milan, and Silvia Fossati, President of Municipality 7. Introduced by Germano Lanzoni, several prominent figures “took the field” to share the origin and significance of this initiative: Paolo Scaroni, Chairman of AC Milan and Fondazione Milan, Franco Baresi, Honorary Vice President of AC Milan and Ambassador for Fondazione Milan, Fabio Schiavolin, CEO of Snaitech and Vice President of Fondazione Snaitech, and Maurizio Lupi, President of Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro. Karen Appiah, an AC Milan Women’s First Team player, also participated. To play host, Don Davide Baschirotto, parish priest of the Madonna dei Poveri church, which serves a community of almost ten thousand people.
The new field will be available for the neighbourhood’s youth and organizations like the Associazione Sportiva San Domenico Savio, which engages dozens of young people every year through its football school.
Paolo Scaroni, Chairman of AC Milan and Fondazione Milan, commented: “For over twenty years, our Foundation has used sports and its values as a tool for social change, capable of creating a tangible impact by investing more than 12 million euros and carrying out over 250 projects worldwide, starting from Milan, where the red and black family has its roots. A perfect example of this is the project we are inaugurating today, made possible only through the virtuous collaboration with Fondazione Snaitech and Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro, for which I am grateful. Together, we have revitalised and provided the local community with a new place where thousands of young people can come together and express their talents.”
Fabio Schiavolin, Vice President of Fondazione Snaitech and CEO of Snaitech, stated: “It was a great team effort that allowed us to return a space to the children and youth of Baggio where they can grow, have fun, and come together. We are truly proud to have contributed to this project alongside two exceptional partners like Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro and Fondazione Milan. For us, sports are a powerful tool for inclusion and social recognition, and this project perfectly represents the commitment that Fondazione Snaitech pursues every day by supporting initiatives that operate locally to improve the daily lives of the community.“
Maurizio Lupi, President of Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro, emphasized: “Thinking about what is good is not enough; you also need to know how to make it happen. If today the young people of the Baggio district in Milan can rely on a new sports area, it’s because three different organizations – Fondazione Milan, Fondazione Snaitech, and Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro – shared an idea and then worked together to give it shape and substance. The best results, as football reminds us, are achieved only through teamwork. And it is certainly even more rewarding when you manage to do something positive in areas on the outskirts of large cities that often receive less attention. We will continue to work on projects of beauty and inclusiveness, like ‘In gioco per il Futuro,’ to help bring the suburbs more into the spotlight.“
