First ‘Cruyff court’ in Italy to be named after Borgonovo
—- An agreement for the realization of the first Cruyff Court, a small football pitch with artificial turf, in Leoni-Via dei Mille has been signed in Como. The facility will be called “Cruyff Court Stefano Borgonovo” to bring up the goals and objectives of the two foundations promoters of the project: the Johan Cruyff Foundation and the Stefano Borgonovo Foundation and greatly supported by the UEFA.
The Johan Cruyff Foundation aims at promoting sports projects for children with a disability and the creation of Cruyff Courts. A Cruyff Court is more than a football pitch. It is a place where children learn all about respect, responsibility and integration through sports. They learn to cooperate, to make friends, to stand up for themselves and for others and to win and lose, These experiences are essential throughout the rest of their lives. Today, there are more than a 180 Cruyff Courts all over the globe.
The Cruyff Court in Como – a facility where you can play football, but also other sports, and that will have the colors blue and orange (those mesh of Holland, the country of Cruyff) – will be the first in Italy and follows many other successful projects already underway around the world. The Stefano Borgonovo Foundation besides having as a general objective to support the research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the disease from which suffered Stefano Borgonovo and that led him to death a year ago, promotes and enhances activities of youth football.
In the agreement signed with the Municipality of Como, which has a duration of 10 years, the Johan Cruyff Foundation and the Stefano Borgonovo Foundation are committed to achieve the Cruyff Court Stefano Borgonovo at their own expense and with the help of the UEFA, with a total investment of over 170 thousand euro; once completed and certified, the Cruyff Court Stefano Borgonovo will become the property of the Municipality of Como, who will have to maintain it.
The Municipality of Como and the Stefano Borgonovo Foundation will organize on the ‘Cruyff Court Stefano Borgonovo’ at least three major recurring annual sports’ events, in particular the “Cruyff Court 6 vs 6 football tournament”, a sporting event for women and the Cruyff Foundation Community Program which provides an intensive training course at the Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies in Amsterdam for at least one coach Cruyff Foundation; this person shall be chosen through procedures ensuring maximum openness and equal opportunities’ guarantees. The Cruyff Foundation Community Program is a project that aims for a greater involvement of young people in the community. It gives to boys/girls aged between 14 and 21 the opportunity to learn how to organize activities/sports events independently and teaches them how they can make a positive contribution within the community itself.
The “Cruyff Court Stefano Borgonovo” will remain open all year round at the following times: from 1 October to 31 March, from 8 am to 18, from 1 April to 30 September from 8 till 22.
“To Como is a great opportunity – comment councilors Daniela Gerosa and Luigi Cavadini, who have followed the administrative, technical and managerial aspects- and just think that in Italy it is the first Cruyff Court that is realized. For our part, there is full commitment and attention that this initiative will become a positive role model. ”
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