"ALL THE COLOURS OF SPORT": WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT AND THE FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AT THE HEART OF THE NEW MEETING

AC Milan and Fondazione Milan continue to promote the positive values of sport with a new event in the "All the Colours of Sport" programme, a series of value-based meetings between Rossoneri ambassadors and students from Milan and around the world.

On Monday, 10 March, AC Milan Women's First Team players Julie Piga and Nadine Sorelli met with 150 young students from the IIS Cardano in Lampugnano, in the north-western outskirts of Milan, to share their personal experiences and encourage discussion and reflection on important topics for the younger generations.

Just days after International Women's Day - an occasion during which the Rossonere players contributed to a collection of nearly 300 pairs of shoes in support of young beneficiaries of Fondazione Milan's projects aimed at promoting women's empowerment worldwide - gender equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination were at the heart of the meeting. The discussion also touched on the importance of education, hard work, and the value of experiencing a multicultural dressing room environment.

"When I started, some boys would make fun of me, but at the end of the day, I was stronger than them. In sport, as in life, you always have to believe in yourself and keep working hard to achieve your goals," said Piga to the young audience. Speaking about the many cultures that come together in a football locker room, she added, "What matters is not criticising, but rather to put yourself in a position to listen and try to understand the reasons behind certain behaviours. From my Swedish teammates, for example, I learned the value of hard work in a way that is different from what we have in France, and that helped me positively change my own approach."

"At first," added Sorelli, "I was in a boys' team, and I heard plenty of comments directed at me. In those moments, it was crucial for me to be able to rely on my family, who always encouraged me and never held me back from pursuing my dream. Sometimes, people tend to downplay episodes of discrimination, but it is important to recognise them and give them the right level of importance, putting yourself in the other person’s shoes."

"All the Colours of Sport", which engages over 1,000 young people each year, is part of Fondazione Milan's Sport for Change programme and reflects the broader commitment of the entire Rossoneri family to supporting the personal development of younger generations and fostering positive change beyond the world of football.