Inter hosts first Beccaria Cup in celebration of children's rights

MILAN – The first edition of the Beccaria Cup has been held at Suning Youth Development Centre in memory of Giacinto Facchetti – a special message and an unforgettable experience for all those who took part. 

For the occasion of World Children's Day, a group of youths left the Beccaria young offender institution and travelled to the Suning Youth Development Centre in memory of Giacinto Facchetti to play a match with some of Inter's academy players. The event was run with the collaboration of Nilox, Inter's Official Electric Mobility Partner, who donated the kit used by the two teams.

What ensued was a one-of-a-kind match between two mixed teams drawn randomly - with everyone winning.

In the two dugouts were Nerazzurri vice-president Javier Zanetti on one side and CSI Milano president Massimo Achini, who coaches the Beccaria team, on the other.

The Milan councillor for sport Martina Riva was also in attendance to kick off proceedings, together with Milan guarantor for children’s rights Silvio Premoli.

“The Beccaria team came about four years ago,” Massimo Achini explained. We train every Friday in the courtyard during the hour of outside time. It's a real team that takes training very seriously. We've seen so many kids come through over the years. We have a very high turnover but they all hold fond memories of their time with our team. We run friendly matches within the prison and Inter have been working with us for three years now. We've played twice at the Beccaria against the Nerazzurri U17s and we also had an amazing experience in 2018, when we went to Appiano Gentile to watch an Inter training session  This year we've made another dream come true with the first edition of the Beccaria Cup – the first of many.”

“Sporting values are fundamental for children’s development,” added Javier Zanetti. “Our youth academy aims to ensure our footballers develop into well-rounded individuals who play an active part in society besides improving their football skills. Meetings like today's are so important both for our youngsters and those from the Beccaria: it's an educational exchange thanks to the healthy competition you get on a football pitch. Inter believe in this project because we see sport as a driver for social inclusion, a universal message of brotherhood, and a tool to help people grow together.”

The Beccaria Cup initiative is part of the Inter's Educational project, which aims to provide young footballers with training and tools to develop not just as players but also on a personal and relationship level by dealing with topics that help them to grow off the field.