Arezzo, 20 June 2024 – Everything is ready for the tenth edition of the AIA (Italian Referees Association) Champions Cup, a tournament reserved for national referees who become five-a-side football athletes for a weekend and compete until the ninetieth for the title of Italian champions .
This year too, the attendance record is expected to be broken: over 300 members from the sections of Abbiategrasso, Albano Laziale, Cagliari, Collegno, Foligno, Lecce, Milan, Nola, Palermo, Perugia, Pinerolo, Pisa will arrive in Arezzo under the banner of sport and beyond.
In fact, in addition to appreciating the beauty of the city on a guided tour, with an appendix to Lucignano and Monte San Savino for a representation of the sections, the race directors, as is now tradition, will attend the Giostra del Saracino and will be welcomed and greeted during a dinner “under the stars”, Friday 21 June in Piazza del Comune.
Arezzo referees and their families will also participate in this gala. “In the next few days – underlined the councilor Federico Scapecchi – Arezzo will show off itself to many guests, carried away by the commitment of a reality that has taken a liking to us and is crossing the double-digit finish line. I think he deserves a nice… promotion without waving cards. We as the administration are happy about it: the AIA Champions Cup is a project financed by the department of youth policies, sport and young people, through the tender dedicated to recreational and recreational activities aimed at young people, because it manages to combine field meetings with tourism enhancement of the city”.
“We are growing with enthusiasm – commented the president of the Arezzo referees section Sauro Cerofolini – and we are very happy with the response we get. Thanks to the Municipality and to the sponsors and supporters who allow the organization to be completed in the best way”.
The event has the patronage and contribution of the Municipality of Arezzo, as recalled by the councillor, the patronage of the Province and the support of Estra, Coingas, Lfi, Aisa, Nuove Acque, Atam, Afm and Fondazione Bruschi. Franco Scortecci, president of Estra Energie: “the company confirms its territorial vocation, supporting the many sporting events that take place, without neglecting any discipline.
Sport represents a social heritage with important values to pass on to younger generations. From this perspective, the role of the referees’ association is important.” The matches will be played on the fields of the Occhi Verdi club starting from Friday at 3pm with the qualifiers until the conclusion on Sunday dedicated to the semi-finals and final.
Sport, entertainment but also solidarity and fair play: part of the proceeds from the tournament registration will be donated to the Arezzo AIL “Federico Luzzi onlus”. Many guests, starting from the national summit in The Hague, President Carlo Pacifici.
As usual, during the press conference, the initial pairings of the three round-robin groups were drawn: GROUP A with Pisa, Pinerolo, Lecce and Palermo; GROUP B with Foligno, Perugia – a nice Umbrian derby -, Abbiategrasso and Albano Laziale – the reigning champions; GROUP C with Cagliari, Milan, Nola and Collegno.
