Welcome Day: the 2026 edition at San Marino Stadium

Last Thursday, San Marino Stadium hosted the traditional Welcome Day. Far from being a simple end-of-season training session, this initiative pursues objectives with deep significance – especially for those who, in the coming weeks and months, will be facing the step up from the Grassroots Youth Sector to the San Marino Academy.

On the pitch that has seen some of the most talented and important players in European football shine, the young footballers who have just completed their final year with the Under-12 teams were able to share experiences and talk with those who have just finished their first season with the San Marino Academy Under-13s. In this respect, Welcome Day is one of the most important and appreciated moments in the youth football structure in San Marino, thanks to its ability to support this transition and make it as smooth as possible. And this applies not only to the increasing commitment and dedication that will be required of them as they progress through the San Marino Academy teams, but also in terms of managing school and private commitments – so that all these aspects, considered equally important, can be combined in the best possible way with sporting activity.

In short, they are facing a step that is anything but straightforward, one that will naturally bring a new series of commitments and the need to manage them: who better to explain what to expect than those who crossed that threshold only a few months ago? For this reason too, the initial open-hearted discussion between players – in the presence of the coach-educators from the San Marino football hubs and the heads of the CEF Project – played a role that was far more than just symbolic. Afterwards came training drills and mixed-team matches because, if the face-to-face dialogue helped to break the ice around fears and expectations, the universal language of football once again proved its unmatched ability to unite youngsters brought together by their passion for the game.