Inter among the clubs taking part in the new Italian edition of the Twinning Project

The first programme is already underway, with two further courses scheduled in the coming months. Inter has joined the new edition of the initiative promoted in Italy by Twinning Project ETS and supported by Enel Cuore Ente Filantropico. to implement an internationally recognised rehabilitation program in Milano that pairs professional football clubs with local penitentiary institutions. In this first phase, the Club is renewing its collaboration with Comunità Kayros. The initiative uses football as a powerful tool for education, well-being, and personal development, supporting rehabilitation and social reintegration while improving participants’ future prospects.

The first course began on January 30th, led by coaches from Inter’s Youth Sector, at the facilities of Kayros, an educational community hosting minors and young adults under criminal justice measures or on probation. The course runs weekly over three months, totaling 36 hours. The program combines basic coaching training with a broader curriculum to develop soft skills such as communication, reflection, teamwork, leadership, and conflict management. Participants who complete the program will receive a diploma recognizing their achievement.

Inter’s ultimate goal is to offer some participants of the project the opportunity to work alongside coaches managing the Club’s socially-oriented teams. By using football as a catalyst for change, the Twinning Project aims to equip participants with valuable skills for reintegration into society and the workforce, contributing to lower recidivism rate, one of the main social and economic challenges for public institutions and civil society.

After a pilot project conducted with AS Roma at Rebibbia prison, the Twinning Project will expand to five Italian cities in 2026, with particular focus on younger inmates. Brought to Italy by Twinning Project ETS CEO Sasha Fugazzola, the program is growing thanks to the support of Enel Cuore, the philanthropic arm of the Enel Group, which for over 20 years has partnered with third-sector organisations on high-impact social projects that, as in this case, use sport as a tool for education and inclusion.

Founded in the United Kingdom in 2018, Twinning Project was developed in collaboration with the UK Prison Service and the broader football ecosystem. Since its creation, it has paired 73 professional football clubs with their respective prison institutions in the UK alone. Its international expansion, launched in 2023 with FIFA support, has brought the program to the United States, South Africa, and Italy. In 2026, with continued FIFA support, Twinning Project will expand further to Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Singapore, and Uruguay. To date, the program has trained over 6,000 participants worldwide.

Since 2018, several academic institutions have conducted independent studies on the impact of Twinning Project, including the University of Oxford in the UK and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the United States, with highly encouraging results. Twinning Project ETS is currently in dialogue with several Italian universities to launch similar research and analysis in Italy.