News
Meeting and discussion with coaches – FIGC
On February 6, at the FIGC Technical Centre of Coverciano, Florence, 49 coaches from the Italian Football Federation met together with representatives of Unimore to discuss the new project and organisation of the methodology. Specifically, a discussion and exchange of views on the selected thematic areas related to violence against women took place, fostering dialogue and shared reflection among the participants. Coaches actively shared their experiences and expertise, asked questions, and contributed with ideas and valuable feedback, thus enriching the exchange and enhancing the importance of the proposed approach.
Kick-off Meeting
On January 15–16, the HAND IN HAND project partners met in Brussels at the EuroHockey headquarters for the official kick-off meeting. The meeting marked the start of the project’s activities, bringing together all partners to align on objectives, roles, and the next steps.
HAND IN HAND, the steering committee meeting and the agenda items
On July 24, 2026, the steering committee meeting of the European project HAND IN HAND was held, which has as its main objective that of using sport to fight gender-based violence. Among the items on the agenda, an update on research and data collection, the analysis of the methodology with a test on a preliminary version, as well as the identification of role models (partners will have to identify 2 athletes each).
HAND IN HAND Steering Committee Meeting on August 28: Agenda and Key Issues
The steering committee meeting for HAND IN HAND was held on August 28. During the meeting, partners approved the rollout of promotional projects, including the updated methodology proposed by UNIMORE. A preliminary version agreed upon with Alice Milliat will be presented and discussed in Sofia before its scheduled publication at the end of the year. Additionally, the next steering committee meeting was scheduled for October 8 and 9 in Sofia at the BHS headquarters.
Events
Awareness Event on European Projects: A Master’s Degree Promoted by Politecnico di Milano in Collaboration with FIGC
The HAND in HAND European project aims to contrast violence against women. Its main objective is to use sports to combat gender-based violence by turning athletic environments into educational settings where young men can be trained to respect women, promoting a culture where women are fully respected. The Coverciano Technical Centre hosted the ninth edition of the International Master in Sport Design and Management, organized by Politecnico di Milano and the Graduate School of Management (GSOM-POLIMI) in collaboration with major Italian sports institutions: CONI, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the Institute for Sports Credit, and Lega Serie A. On Wednesday, June 17, the HAND in HAND project was presented to the 21 Master’s participants, sparking great interest and giving rise to an engaging discussion on the project’s key themes.
A further step forward in the Hand in Hand Project
On June 27 and 28, 2026, the Hand in Hand project reached an important milestone: for the first time, the activities developed as part of the project were implemented with the FIGC Men’s National Futsal Team, during the team’s training camp in Cesena. The sport psychology activities focused on identifying and challenging common myths surrounding gender-based violence, while also promoting greater awareness of consent. These are key themes for preventing gender-based violence and fostering respectful relationships.
Sensitization Event HAND IN HAND: Meeting and discussion with FIGC’s National Futsal Team
On Wednesday, 27 May 2026, during the training camp of the Italian Men’s Futsal National Team, held in Ariccia (Province of Rome), Barbara Moschini (FIGC) and Loris Vezzali (UNIMORE) presented the HAND IN HAND project to the players of the Italian Men’s Futsal National Team. During the session, they introduced the project’s objectives and structure, highlighting the role of sport as a tool for preventing and addressing gender-based violence. Overall, the event was attended by 19 participants, all of whom were men.
The activities of the European HAND in HAND project continue
Thanks to the strong collaboration between FIGC – the leader of the HAND in HAND project – and UNIMORE, we are continuing our awareness-raising activities with athletes from the FIGC men’s national teams, focusing on the prevention of gender-based violence.
On 3 September 2026, in Viareggio, we organised a two-hour awareness-raising session with the Italian Men’s Beach Soccer National Team. Barbara Moschini and Giuseppe Martucci from FIGC coordinated the session together with Loris Vezzali, Elisa Bisagno, and Alice Lucarini from UNIMORE.
During the session, the athletes took part in sport psychology activities and engaged in discussions, reflection, and debate. The session addressed complex but crucial topics, including the different forms of violence, the myths and misconceptions that can contribute to normalising violence, and the complex and important concept of consent. This was another valuable opportunity for dialogue, bringing sport and education together to promote awareness, respect, and positive relationships.
