After two years of forced hiatus due to Covid-19, the Paralympic and Test Football Championships was able to resume in March, thus reaching the National Finals for the Central and North Zones, which were held in Novarillo on Saturday 18 June and in the South. Zone scheduled for Saturday 25 June. It is a tournament held in eleven regions and these competitions are usually directed by judges of excellence and promotion. Instead, the referee of the Serie A National Committee and Serie A was appointed by Gianluca Manganiello for the final.

“We think this is a tournament where you can breathe the atmosphere of real sport – there are only smiles and protests different from the ones we experience every Sunday,” said National Committee member Alberto Zarroli. Zaroli stressed the importance of having a provision that legitimizes a sporting activity that is no longer sporadic and charitable, but rather formal. In the presence of the referees representing the union. The message we want to convey is that these guys are not part of a different world, but they are included in the world of football to which we all belong. They are athletes and should be treated as such.”

The enthusiasm that pervades the stadiums and stands is very strong, and is also guaranteed by a good turnout from the audience who followed the players in this final stage. Even those who managed these matches said they were satisfied, like Martina Brunetti of the Milan department: “This is an experience that allows us to realize that these children, in playing football, do not face all the difficulties that we generally think.” Gaia Neri of the Alexandria department shares the same idea and said, “It’s an experience that all referees have to go through because there is so much to learn from these guys.”

Extremely challenging matches that allowed both players and those outside the game to enjoy and feel involved in the search for a goal is not always straightforward. Novara FC beat Juventus in a final that kept everyone in suspense. Now all that remains is to wait next Sunday to attend the final stage of the South in Rome, where the guest of honor, as well as the referee of the last match, Fabio Maresca in the African Cup of Nations of the Italian Serie A will be the epidemic.