Thank you, Chair.
Excellencies, dear colleagues, President of the General Assembly,
Let me join the Italian World Champions Marco Tardelli and Gigi Buffon in thanking Bahrain, Libya and Tajikistan for their leadership in promoting the Resolution on the World Football Day.
This Resolution and this International Day have a universal understanding. They speak to billions of people, united in support and promotion of football.
Football is arguably played in all Countries and territories of the world and in all the different contexts, including in the most fragile ones, where it can also represent solace, hope, dreams, opportunities for young people of all countries, leaving no one behind. It unites us all.
Football is also a key instrument to promote inclusive sustainable development, reconciliation and social inclusion. This is why Italy has also actively promoted development initiatives focusing on football as a catalyst, including by supporting football campus for the most vulnerable children and young people, including refugees, in many partner countries.
We do so in partnership the National Football Federation and the Association of Italian Footballers and several Clubs, which are all championing this sport for development and peace.
But let me say in conclusion that I am particularly happy and proud to celebrate the World Football Day in this year of the Summit of the Future, which is expected to relaunch multilateralism and inclusivity, and also on the eve of a very important competition. The European Cup is about to start in two weeks and let me seize this opportunity to convey best wishes to all the participants to the European Cup, may the best win. And, of course, best wishes to my team, Italy, from the President of the Italian Football Federation, Gabriele Gravina, to the great coach we have, Luciano Spalletti, who was also the indisputable protagonist of the victory of the Italian team League last year of Napoli, the team of my home town. So, I like him very much.
Thank you.
