Ten years of collaboration between FSGC and the Upper Secondary School of San Marino

It was 6 March 2013 when the project of a curricular work placement for students of the Linguistic High School of San Marino in the field of international football first came to life. On that occasion, Group 6 of the Preliminary Round of the UEFA Regions' Cup was hosted in San Marino, involving three regional representative teams, all from the United Kingdom. At least geographically, since – in addition to Northern Ireland’s Eastern Region and England’s Jersey – the Republic of Ireland’s Leinster & Munster side also took part in the mini‑tournament staged between the Stadio di Montecchio and the San Marino Stadium. Ten years on, the bond between the Upper Secondary School and the San Marino Football Federation is even stronger, more deep‑rooted and genuinely educational for the students taking part in the project. Young San Marino nationals, recently turned 18, in their final year or attending the fourth year of the Linguistic High School, have long been involved in the international activities in which the FSGC takes part – both on San Marino soil and abroad. ©FSGC | female students on a training placement at the Puskas Arena in Budapest in 2021, pictured with Tura and Zafferani (President and General Secretary of the FSGC). In the centre Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA. All the features of a genuine work placement are in place, including an assessment form drawn up by the teaching staff and completed by the heads of department of the San Marino Football Federation at the end of the professional experience. Countless are the activities in which the students are directly involved, covering both the organisational aspects of competitions (supporting the venue team, assisting the Supporter Liaison Officer, Welcoming & Hospitality, liaising with foreign spectators at Lost & Found or Merchandising points, serving as Team Liaison Officer for foreign teams, providing translation services for foreign officials and guests, etc.) and those linked to the world of communications (assisting with press conference activities, translating interviews and texts into English, managing relations with foreign media, etc.). A 360‑degree experience that at times also offers truly unique opportunities (such as the chance to meet FIFA President Gianni Infantino in person, as happened at the Puskas Arena in Budapest in November 2021), but which first and foremost is designed to foster the educational and professional development of young people from San Marino who are about to embark on an academic path or – why not – enter the job market. In this sense, it is undeniable that the close ties forged through this training placement, strongly supported by both the Upper Secondary School and the San Marino Football Federation, have, for some of these students, evolved into an ongoing professional collaboration. Many of them have in fact chosen to remain within the orbit of San Marino football, taking on roles as Team Liaison Officers, Delegate Liaison Officers and operational assistants in the organisational area. From the seed sown at the 2013 UEFA Regions' Cup, a collaboration was born which, over the years, grew into a full‑time contract for one of those young students, who is today entrusted with the responsibility of a central and highly sensitive role – among many others – namely that of Security Officer. For the very young students of the Linguistic High School, therefore, this is far from being a brief, one‑off experience; it is a genuine opportunity for growth – and, hopefully, employment – aimed at giving them a complete overview of major football and, more generally, sporting events, sectors in which they may one day choose to build their professional careers.

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