The press conference at the FIGC headquarters (photo mario rosas)
The balance sheet of 2021: growing numbers and increasing companies in contrast to national data despite the pandemic
Stefano Ambu
December 30, 2021
CAGLIARI. Amateur football is also beating Covid. The numbers say it: 550 companies registered in the championships against the 515 pre-virus. And, more or less, the storm did not disperse the members, at least in Sardinia: throughout Italy there are 250 thousand missing, but on the island the movement has remained standing with the same figures as before. “On the contrary – commented the president of the regional FIGC Gianni Cadoni tracing the balance of 2021 of the island movement -, in some cases the numbers have even increased”. Maybe some referees got lost along the way: before they were a thousand, now they are 880. Numbers that forced the regional FIGC to spread matches and referees on Saturday too.
«But the advances – explained Cadoni – have brought new spectators and new enthusiasm even beyond the problem of the lack of referees. For some very heartfelt matches such as derbies or top clashes on Saturday we also had a thousand spectators bringing women and children to the stadium ». But now with the new courses and with the possibility of hiring players too (not in the same group as the team they play in) the hope is to go back to pre-pandemic times. The Sardinian committee, after stops and interruptions, no longer wants to stop. «This is the year of the restart – continued Cadoni – and we have reshaped the championships in order to be able to face any new problems. However, they are satisfied: in general the movement has lost 250 thousand members, in Sardinia the system has kept and in some cases increased its numbers “.
Nine thousand races to be managed every year with 1770 teams on the field. An army that oscillates between 30 and 40 thousand members with 7000 managers and 4105 technicians: “Only in 77 municipalities out of 377 we do not have a qualified technician,” said Cadoni. Among the results also several blue jerseys. Like Alessio Pilo del Latte Dolce, owner of the national under 17 amateur team. O Miche Podda, national five-a-side football team. «We have about twenty boys – said Cadoni – in the blue jersey. Not to mention the tide of young people who are called up every year by professional clubs. They are more and more. We do well with research, scouting. Now, once we have found the talents, we also want to do more to make them grow ».
The birth of the regional beach soccer championship is also among the objectives for 2022. One of the greatest satisfactions? «The fourth, fifth and sixth category championships – concluded Cadoni – for disabled players: it is wonderful to see them on the pitch. and the great challenge is that of women’s football: we want to win it ».
