After the project Soccer and Roma was closed, a new project was started
in March 2011. It was organized in cooperation with the Milano non-profit
organization Associacione Padri Somachi and financially supported
by Football against racism in Europe (FARE).
Participants were a group of 6 to 12 years old Romani children of Romanian origin,
who lived in Milano for about 10 years. They had the opportunity to attend
soccer training directed by Ines Österle every Saturday afternoon.
Several very dedicated volunteers of the Associazione Padrei Somaschi,
who knew the children for quite
some time, assisted her in the training. The children grew up in difficult economic and social
conditions, characterized by permanently uncertain living conditions: They used to live in
illegal camps. In 2010 some of them were forcibly relocated up to 20 times, resulting in
a.o. an irregular school attendance.
One target of soccer training was: To teach the children basic techniques as well as rules
that are important for the functioning of a training team. Another goal was to offer the
children a place to go to and to enjoy regularly a few hours of leisure in a familiar peer group.
Unfortunately, the project could not be continued.
Many of the children moved back to Romania, others moved to other districts of Milano.
