FSGC joins the CAFE Week of Action, unveiling a ground-breaking technological innovation

Always committed to offering the highest possible level of accessibility at its facilities, both in terms of infrastructure and matchday experience, the San Marino Football Federation is delighted to confirm its participation in the CAFE Week of Action 2022 (taking place from 12 to 20 March). CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe) is the leading body for accessibility of supporters at football matches across the European continent, working in partnership with UEFA. In recent years, FSGC has regularly launched initiatives aimed at inclusion and accessibility: from audio-descriptive commentary courses for blind supporters – delivered also during EURO 2020 up to the Wembley final for Italian-speaking blind fans attending the Azzurri’s triumph in London – to a project to teach Italian Sign Language (LIS) to stewards and the removal of architectural barriers at its venues. Some of these activities form part of a broader awareness-raising programme on issues that the San Marino Football Federation has long embraced. In this regard, players and match officials involved in the 27th round of the Campionato Sammarinese (19-20 March) will display a banner in the stands to highlight the commitment of San Marino’s football system to providing an engaging experience for supporters with disabilities. In addition, tomorrow at noon – on the FSGC YouTube channel – last week’s match San Giovanni v La Fiorita will be broadcast with audio-descriptive commentary. We invite everyone to listen to at least fifteen minutes of the audio-descriptive commentary with their eyes closed, to appreciate the purpose and quality of this type of service, which will also be offered for the San Marino–Lithuania friendly, live at the San Marino Stadium. This is also open to non-disabled supporters who wish to try this experience. In particular, San Giovanni v La Fiorita, played last week in Acquaviva, was produced using the Spiideo automatic camera system, which the San Marino Football Federation has been testing for several weeks and which could open up new and exciting opportunities for visibility of Sammarinese football, for services tailored to specific audiences, and more broadly for anyone, wherever they may be, to get a window onto our football movement.

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