Social Sustainability: Community and Youth

Twinning project

The Twinning Project, which began in the United Kingdom and which Roma was the first to inaugurate in Italy, involves twinning professional soccer teams and penal institutions to provide concrete opportunities to better prepare inmates for release, to find employment, and to reduce recidivism rates, which are a huge cost to the country and local communities.

The agreement calls for AS Roma coaches to travel weekly to Rebibbia Prison to teach a basic course for both inmates and female inmates who want to learn the skills to train as future coaches. During the sessions, several fundamental themes are addressed, including improving communication and reflection skills, teamwork, activity planning, leadership, and group management.

The training programme also includes modules dedicated to conflict resolution, the development of interpersonal skills, and the improvement of physical and mental wellbeing, providing participants with useful tools for building a more stable and conscious future.

Guida in Sicurezza ("Keep Life Onside") Project

AS Roma, together with the Automobile Club Roma and with the support of Toyota, promoted the campaign “Keep Life Onside” to spread safe and responsible driving. Every year in Rome there are more than 13,000 accidents, with over 16,000 injured and around 150 fatalities, including many pedestrians. The main causes are distraction, failure to respect the rules, and speeding.

The project was created to raise awareness - particularly among young people - through educational activities run by the Automobile Club Roma. The programme includes interactive theory lessons and practical safe driving exercises, led by ACI Ready2Go instructors with the support of Toyota and Kinto. It is an engaging and effective method, designed to encourage the learning of correct driving behaviour.

In the first three sessions, around five hundred students from Roman schools together with the boys and girls of the giallorossi Primavera squad were involved. AS Roma also established a fund in memory of Francesco Valdiserri, a young fan struck in 2022 by an out-of-control car, to support and ensure the continuity of educational activities in future years.

At Fan School

Starting by listening to the needs of the territory and those of individual schools, in 2015 AS Roma launched the “Scuola di Tifo” ("Fan School”) initiative, aimed at the city's students to provide them - through a series of workshops with the players in attendance - with the tools to understand and address socially important issues such as bullying, racism, environmental education and inclusion.

At the end of this series of meetings, the Club donates educational and sports materials to the schools involved.

The project, dedicated to the memory of Willy Monteiro (the boy brutally killed in an act of bullying in Colleferro in 2020), has two phases:

On the first day, a preschool educator, starting with the concept of fair play, addresses the established theme with the students. The class then makes a banner representative of the message conveyed, with the support of professional cartoonists.

On the second day, the students demonstrate what they have learned and accomplished in the educational phase to an AS Roma soccer player, who awards them prizes and a diploma to celebrate the event.

Amami e Basta

In 2020, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Club and Roma Capitale launched the "Amami e Basta" (“Just Love Me”) campaign, created to counter the rise in domestic violence cases during lockdown and which has over the years become a point of reference in raising awareness on the issue.

The first initiative was the creation of a calendar featuring the partners of the players, the proceeds of which were allocated to training courses for women who are victims of violence, essential for facilitating employment and economic independence. The Club also donated medical equipment to local health authorities (ASL) to ensure dedicated and appropriate pathways for women who go to accident and emergency after suffering abuse.

In parallel, educational meetings are organised in schools and red benches installed in the city’s districts to keep public attention high. At some matches, male and female players have promoted the anti-violence helpline number 1522.

AS Roma Social Camp

AS Roma Social Camps are held every year in the first two weeks of July and are attended by children from disadvantaged groups in the city, nominated by the Assessorato alle Pari Opportunità (Department of Equal Opportunities) of Roma Capitale, the Forum del Lazio Terzo Settore (Lazio Volunteer Forum), Caritas, and suburban parishes. The initiative combines sporting activities and educational programmes, offering participants a complete formative experience.

In addition to on-pitch training led by AS Roma Camp instructors, the children take part in journalism lessons given by prominent names from the national press and television, gaining tools to communicate and tell stories consciously. The programme also includes lessons on sustainability, led by teachers from Roma Natura and AMA representatives, and educational sessions on combating bullying and cyberbullying run by the Postal Police, with the aim of promoting respect, collaboration, and active citizenship among young people. Thanks to this combination of sport, education, and awareness-raising, the AS Roma Social Camps represent a concrete opportunity for inclusion, personal growth, and socialisation for children from vulnerable situations.

Superiamo gli Ostacoli (Let's Overcome Obstacles)

AS Roma has taken concrete action in support of the disabled and vulnerable groups through the "Let's Overcome the Obstacles" program, named after a popular Roma fan song.

For the benefit of deaf fans, the Club provides a simultaneous sign language translation of the pre-match press conferences on its official channels.

Meanwhile for blind spectators radio transmitting equipment has been provided in the Olympic Stadium, so that they can follow the match in the stands via a dedicated commentary.

With the "Unstoppable" program, implemented with the help of Club partner Toyota KINTO and the Arvalia Civil Defense organisation, AS Roma provides disabled fans and their companions with a bookable transportation service during matches at the Olympic Stadium. Volunteers organize the transfer of fans by accompanying them to the stadium, assisting them during the match, and returning them to their homes using dedicated vehicles. In addition to support activities for the transport of disabled people during matchdays, the project includes the provision of transport during the week to support the community, particularly anti-violence centres, family homes, senior centres and residences housing families and children undergoing treatment at cancer facilities.

Quiet Room

Visiting a stadium can be an overwhelming experience, with large crowds, noise, bright lights, and unfamiliar situations contributing to sensory overload, making it difficult to fully enjoy the sporting event.

To assist our spectators who may need a brief break away from the crowds, sounds, lights, and loud noises, the Club, in partnership with Sport e Salute, has inaugurated the “QUIET ROOM” at the Stadio Olimpico. This space is designed for fans with sensory needs, such as those with autism, allowing them to watch the game in a safe and protected environment.

The room, set up by Sport e Salute in the Monte Mario Tribune, offers a comfortable and welcoming space where children can follow the match in total safety, enjoying a unique and relaxing experience.

AS Roma for Special Team

AS Roma officially adopted its Special team in May 2023. The athletes, currently 12 players between the ages of 20 and 30, wear the Giallorossi jersey and participate in tournaments organized by the Paralympic and Experimental Football Division of the FIGC, thanks to the adoption formula.

The adoption is part of the broader project of inclusion of people with disabilities through sport and is part of the Club's sustainability strategy, which aims to promote a message of valuing sport as an extraordinary tool for integration and social inclusion.

La Locanda dei Girasoli

"Locanda dei Girasoli" (“Sunflower Inn”) is a popular inclusive project in Rome, which operates in the restaurant business and involves people with Down syndrome, with the aim of promoting their employment through individual training.

The Club has decided to show its support by employing some of the young people involved in the project.

To support the employment of the young people involved and ensure the continuity of the project, which was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, AS Roma decided to intervene directly with a concrete initiative. The Club offered some of the young people from La Locanda dei Girasoli the opportunity to participate in the catering service in the hospitality areas of the Stadio Olimpico, allowing them to gain practical and professional experience in a real-world setting.

Thanks to this support, the project not only continues to train young people with Down syndrome, but also promotes a model of social and economic inclusion, strengthening the network of collaboration between institutions, associations, and the world of sport for the benefit of the community.

Press conferences and the club anthem in sign language

AS Roma is promoting accessibility and inclusion through the introduction of sign language into its institutional activities and the Club’s emblematic moments.

At official press conferences, Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpretation is provided, with the aim of making content accessible to deaf people as well, which fosters more inclusive and participatory communication.

In parallel, Roma has developed the official Club anthem in sign language, transforming one of the most iconic symbols of the giallorossi identity into a tool for universal sharing. This initiative allows a wider audience to fully experience the emotional and identity-defining moments linked to pre-match occasions.

The project forms part of the Club’s social sustainability strategy, contributing to the spread of a culture of inclusion and accessibility, with the aim of breaking down barriers and strengthening the sense of belonging to the community.

Calcio Insieme

“Calcio Insieme” (Football Together) is an experimental project launched in 2015 through collaboration between AS Roma and the Accademia Calcio Integrato, dedicated to teaching football to boys and girls with intellectual disabilities. Among the participants are mainly children with autistic spectrum disorders, but also those with Down syndrome, dyspraxia, and Sotos syndrome.

The initiative offers children the opportunity to express themselves through sport, fostering social integration and the development of different forms of communication, as well as improving the quality of their physical activity through the game of football. The project aims to guarantee continuous sporting participation over time, adapting the football model to participants’ needs and promoting an inclusive and ability-aware approach.

“Calcio Insieme” creates a community in which school, family, sporting organisation, and staff actively collaborate, placing children with intellectual disabilities at the centre and building a shared environment that values inclusion, socialisation, and personal development through sport.

AS Roma academy: Blind Football Team and Roma Amputees Team

AS Roma supports Roma Calcio Amputati, an organization founded to bring together young people with amputations, limb malformations, or congenital limb issues who share a passion for soccer. The team serves as a point of reference for everyone who wants fully to embrace both sports and life regardless of their physical abilities. The Club’s support helps strengthen the project, fostering its growth and reinforcing its mission to create value within the capital’s sporting and social fabric.

AS Roma also supports ASD Disabili Roma 2000 Blind Football, a five-a-side soccer team for the totally blind that competes at the professional level in the Italian league and the Coppa Italia, organized by the Federazione Italiana Sport Paralimpici per Ipovedenti e Ciechi (F.I.S.P.I.C.), the Italian Paralympic Sports Federation for the Visually Impaired and Blind, which is recognized by the Italian Paralympic Committee. Through this support, the Club is reaffirming its commitment to promoting inclusive sports, encouraging the active participation of athletes with disabilities, and highlighting soccer as a tool for integration, growth, and social inclusion.

Football with Heart

This project, carried out continuously since 2018, is aimed at soccer schools and amateur sports associations in the Capital with the goal of involving them in training on first aid techniques, and the use of defibrillators, as the timeliness of rescues can prove to be crucial in saving a life.

Certified operators run simple and accessible lessons aimed at both children and instructors, alternating between theoretical explanations and practical exercises on the main life-saving techniques. This approach allows participants to acquire essential skills in a direct and conscious manner, increasing their ability to intervene when necessary. Schools involved in the programme also receive defibrillators donated by the Club and take part in specific training courses for their use, intended for five operators at each facility.

The Club, which has always been committed to health, thus provides an opportunity for young students to begin studies on how to cope with emergency situations, and learn essential life-saving measures.

Prevention activities: BLSD courses and cardiac screenings

Roma is not just a team on the pitch, but also supports the community off the field. Among the initiatives that the club carries out in support of its fans and community network is a series of free services under the banner of prevention and health, organized at the Stadio Olimpico in the pre-match period. These activities offer free services aimed at promoting wellbeing and diffusing skills that are practical in everyday life.

Periodically, a series of free screenings (e.g. cardiological) are offered to Giallorossi fans, in addition to free BLSD courses (Basic Life Support and early Defibrillation), in collaboration with Arvalia Civil Defense.

The objective of the courses is to transfer basic life-saving skills and understanding to an increasing number of people about prompt intervention in case of choking or cardiorespiratory emergencies. Thanks to these initiatives, AS Roma confirms its social commitment, promoting health, prevention, and shared responsibility among fans, while at the same time creating moments of practical education and awareness-raising on issues of great relevance to the community.

Emergency Blood

The blood donation project represents a concrete initiative through which AS Roma promotes solidarity and support for the health system, raising awareness among fans and the community about the importance of a simple but fundamental act that saves lives.

Over the years, the Club has supported blood drives in collaboration with local organisations and institutions, helping to raise awareness of the importance of regular donation. Through communication activities and dedicated events, AS Roma is encouraging the active participation of fans, strengthening the sense of belonging and responsibility towards the community.

The initiative forms part of the Club’s broader commitment in the field of social sustainability, with the aim of generating a positive and lasting impact, supporting the health system, and promoting a widespread culture of solidarity.

Lega Serie A - Junior Cup - Keep Racism Out

Each year the Club supports the JUNIOR CUP, the U14 soccer tournament in which church youth groups from cities whose teams play in Serie A participate, aimed at raising awareness of issues around anti-racism and equality, organized by Lega Serie A and Centro Sportivo Italiano, with a training session and stadium experience for the boys from the groups taking part in the tournament. This goes beyond sporting competition, offering young participants a complete educational programme aimed at raising their awareness of civil coexistence, mutual respect, and the importance of building inclusive communities through sport.

In addition to educational content, the young people have the opportunity to live a unique experience at the Stadio Olimpico, coming into contact with the professional football environment and discovering the values of sport experienced first-hand. Thanks to this combination of education, practical activity, and moments of togetherness, the JUNIOR CUP represents an important occasion to educate new generations in respect, collaboration, and responsibility, reinforcing the message that sport can be a powerful tool for building a fairer and more inclusive society.

Educational Project “UEFA Outraged”

“Outraged” is a docuseries created by UEFA with the aim of combating every form of discrimination and providing educational materials to raise young people’s awareness of fundamental social issues. AS Roma has chosen to incorporate these documentaries into the school activities of the youth sector, using them as a training tool to build awareness of subjects such as sexism, homophobia, and racism, with particular attention to the difficulties faced by refugees who play football and the challenges related to social inclusion in sport.

The “Outraged” educational project has been incorporated into the curriculum of the Science High School within the Sports Centre, involving not only the athletes from the Primavera and Under-18 squads but also all the other students who attend the school. Thanks to this initiative, students have the opportunity to confront real-life situations of discrimination, develop empathy, and reflect on the correct behaviour to adopt both on the pitch and in everyday life. In this way, the project promotes values of respect, inclusion, and active citizenship, strengthening the Club’s commitment to shaping aware and responsible young people.