Project Partners
A coordinated partnership
Consortium Activities
FIGC
FIGC will be responsible for management, for inter and intra-project liaison, for communicating with EACEA and the Project Offices, for financial issues, for reporting, evaluation and monitoring of the project progress (WP1). The methodology testing will occur (in Coverciano, FIGC national training centre) via NGOs services, FIGC coaches, NGOs educators. FIGC will also have a primary role in providing the final methodology and tools to its coaches at the national level and in the organisation of the final tournament. FIGC will also organise the three regional events jointly with CEIS_MO, CEIS_RM and CARITAS_FI.
UNIMORE
UNIMORE, based on its experience in the field and in EU projects, will first conduct the desk research, culminating in the final definition of methodology (WP2). UNIMORE will be responsible for guidelines and their implementation and for the “practical toolkit”. Its academic experience in working with different types of institutions interdisciplinary will be important to guide the selection of good practices and the integration of these and of partners’ experience in the design of the “training trainers” activity (WP2). UNIMORE will train coaches on the BELONG methodology and, in addition, will coordinate the activities planned to be supervised by CARITAS (e.g. non-sport educational activities). Its experience will also be valuable for communication/dissemination to the academic community (WP3).
CARITAS_FI, CEIS_MO and CEIS_RM
CARITAS_FI, CEIS_MO and CEIS_RM, are highly dedicated to supporting refugees and the BELONG project aligns with some of their initiatives. Given their focus on refugees, they will have a primary role in the refugee recruitment activity and organization of the regional events (WP2). They will also collaborate on the methodology implementation and monitoring with all partners.
The three entities involved in the project also play a crucial role in terms of local impact and dissemination (WP3). In fact, they are part of all local social networks as the most prominent elements, with close relationships with their national representatives (Caritas Italia and FICT – Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities to which all Italian CEIS belong). In addition to local dissemination, CEIS and Caritas FI will involve their national representatives as described above. The three associations will have the task of actively participating in the design and creation of the communication and dissemination strategy and its implementation. They will also collaborate in the organization of the Final Event in Coverciano.
More about the BELONG’s Consortium
FIGC
The FIGC, founded in 1898, promotes football in Italy. The Italian Football Association organizes the activities of the men's and youth, women's, Futsal and Beach Soccer national teams; it also supervises, controls and coordinates the leagues that organize the professional leagues (Lega Serie A, Lega B, Lega Pro), the amateur and national leagues at a national and interregional level. The FIGC also directly promotes tournaments, activities and initiatives reserved for youth sectors and, through the Women's Football Division, the Serie A and Serie B women's football championships). At the regional level, the FIGC acts through the Regional Committees, the Provincial and Local Delegations.
Thais Bachi
Institutional Area
After earning a master’s degree in Corporate Communication, she began her professional experience at an international advertising agency. Since 2018, for the Italian Football Association, she has been involved in initiatives and activities aimed at promotion and dissemination for institutional, social, and cultural purposes.
Ludovica Cohen
President Office
In December 2018, she graduated with a law degree at “Roma Tre University” in Rome.
In November 2021, she qualified to practice as a lawyer.
Currently she’s working in the President’s office and provides legal support to the EU Projects Senior Expert Ms. Barbara Moschini for the European projects BELONG and HAND IN HAND; in particular, she reviews contracts and assist her in the project management.
Barbara Moschini
EU Projects Senior Expert
She is a professional journalist, degreed in Political Science at Sapienza University in Rome, experiencing at FIGC Press Office and External Relations 5 World Cups, 4 European Championships and 2 Confederations Cups with the A National Team.
For the last 10 years she has been working as Projects Manager for co-financed EU projects, supported by UEFA, with partnerships among sport Associations, Universities, National Agencies and international Organizations involving stakeholders, on environmental sustainability, social inclusion, anti-radicalization, women or young empowerment, fight against racism and gender violence.
In 2016 she became UEFA Delegate and completed the MESGO master (Top Executive Master in European Sport Governance organized by UEFA)
Matteo Santi
Media Office
After graduating in political science, he began working with the FIGC in 2019. As a professional journalist since 2017, he is part of the Federation’s media dept. as media officer, focusing on the Under-21 national team and the futsal and beach soccer national teams.
Vito Di Gioia
FIGC Youth & Education Foot Dept. - Secretary
Massimo Tell
FIGC Youth & Education Foot Dept.
Gianluca Salvatori
FIGC Youth & Education Foot Dept.
Daniela Sepio
Sports Psychologist at FIGC Youth & Education Foot Dept.
Olga Feshchenko
FIGC Youth & Education Foot Dept.
Roberto Basso
FIGC Youth & Education Foot Dept. - Deputy Secretary
Unimore
The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), founded in 1175, is among the oldest universities in the world and has always been ranked among the top Italian universities for quality of teaching and research. UNIMORE is composed of 14 Departments, 16 interdisciplinary research centres, 8 PhD schools, and has almost 1,500 personal and administrative staff as well as more than 25,000 students. It has more than 253 international exchange agreements and invests 1 million € for year in mobility programmes. The UNIMORE group involved in the Project will be CHIMOMO Department. UNIMORE will exploit its wide expertise in ERASMUS+ projects, also in the sport domain, in order to contribute to the achievement of the project’s goals.
Veronica Margherita Cocco
Associate Professor
Veronica Margherita Cocco is an Associate Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. Her teaching and research activities pertain to social psychology, where she focuses on group processes and intergroup relations, with a strong interest in promoting social inclusion and equality. She has contributed to the field by publishing numerous scientific articles in international journals and collaborating with several national and international research laboratories. These interests further extend to the university’s third mission, where she is committed to knowledge transfer and the development of socially impactful initiatives aimed at addressing major contemporary societal challenges.
Loris Vezzali
PhD (role: manager, researcher)
Loris Vezzali is Full Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. His main research interests deal with intergroup relations and prevention of intergroup violence. From January 2017 to December 2019 he has been National Coordinator of the Section of Social Psychology of the Italian Association of Psychology (after being Treasurer for the section from 2014 to 2016). He is currently Dean of the Degree Course in at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, and Associate Editor of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. He has published on some of the most prestigious international journals in social psychology, mainly on the topics on how to promote social inclusion.
Alessia Cadamuro
PhD (role: manager, researcher)
Alessia Cadamuro is Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. In August 2007 she obtained a doctorate in General and Experimental Psychology at the Alma Mater Studiorum (Department of Psychology), University of Bologna, presenting a doctoral thesis on the relationship between cognitive performance and body posture. Her research focuses mainly on the study of developmental and educational psychology, on learning theories. In particular, she is interested in the theory of mind, metacognition, cognitive and learning styles and relationships between children and teachers
Gian Antonio Di Bernardo
PhD (role: researcher, technician)
Gian Antonio Di Bernardo is Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He works on the topic prejudice, with a focus on dehumanization, objectification, and implicit prejudice. He also works on social inclusion and on intergroup relations, dopting a social identity approach and investigating major theories, like intergroup contact theory, on which he has published relevant contributions on major social psychological journals.
Sandro Rubichi
PhD (role: researcher, technician)
Sandro Rubichi is Full Professor in General Psychology Policy at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He has been Dean of the Degree Course in at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, member of the Commission for the National Scientific Licence (2016-2018), member of he Research Commission of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia since 2010. His main research interests concern the neuro-cognitive bases of social behaviours along the developmental age and in adulthood, perceptive-motor behavior, decisional processes.
Elisa Bisagno
PhD (role: researcher, technician)
Elisa Bisagno is a developmental and sport psychologist. She got her PhD in Social Sciences in 2019 with an interdisciplinary thesis in developmental and sport psychology and completed a postgraduate course in Sport Psychology in 2020. She is currently an Assistant professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Her expertise deals with cognitive development, especially concerning working memory and executive functioning, motor learning and the relationship between sports participation and cognitive, affective and moral development. From 2019 on, she has been involved in numerous research projects and European projects aimed at fostering social inclusion through sport.
Annamaria De Santis
PhD (role: researcher, technician)
Annamaria De Santis, Ph.D. in Education, is a researcher at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy), where she teaches Data Analysis in Education and Instructional Design in Digital Contexts in the degree course in Digital Education.
Her research interests focus, in particular, on e-Learning, online course design, and applications of quantitative approaches to educational research.
Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze
Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Diocesan Caritas of Florence through the development of the "Opere Segno" (Signs of Charity). These projects offer concrete solutions and facilities for individuals facing poverty, social exclusion, and hardship, inspired by the Gospel values of charity and the Social Doctrine of the Church.
Within this framework, the Foundation is deeply committed to the field of migration, operating with the belief that welcoming others is a transformative act for the entire community. A cornerstone of this commitment is the management of the SAI (System of Accommodation and Integration) projects. Unlike emergency reception, our SAI programs focus on "integrated reception," providing not only housing and food but also a wide range of specialized services designed to foster true independence.
Our dedicated team works to support refugees and asylum seekers through:
- Individualized Integration Pathways: Tailored programs that include Italian language courses, vocational training, and support in accessing local job markets.
- Legal and Administrative Guidance: Assisting guests in navigating the complexities of international protection and residency documentation.
- Health and Psychological Support: Ensuring access to healthcare services and providing specialized counseling to help individuals process the trauma of migration.
- Community Engagement: Promoting social inclusion through cultural mediation and activities that encourage interaction between migrants and the local Florentine citizenship.
By fostering a culture of solidarity and volunteering, Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS strives to build a more inclusive society where every person is recognized in their dignity and supported in their journey toward a self-sufficient and dignified life.
Benedetta Masiero
Integration and Migration Project Coordinator
Benedetta Masiero has been working for several years in the Immigration Area at Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas – ETS in Florence, focusing on integration pathways within the SAI Project. She started her career in the migration field after completing a Master’s in International Solidarity and Humanitarian Law. Always engaged in social work and volunteering, she serves as the project coordinator for BELONG at the Foundation.
Paolo Santagata
Immigration Area Manager
Paolo Santagata has been working for Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas – ETS since 2014, initially with homeless people, and from 2015 in the immigration field. From 2025 he is the immigration area manager, after working for progetto SAI of Florence municipality as Coordinator. Within the BELONG project he supervises its progress and he supports the relationships with the community stakeholders.
Rudina Nuredini
Project Management and Reporting Officer
Rudina Nuredini has been working in the Project Development and Reporting Office of the Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas since 2023. She holds a degree in Development Economics and International Cooperation and is responsible for project management, monitoring, and reporting, contributing to the sustainability of initiatives and their alignment with social objectives. Within the project, she supports administrative and coordination activities, helping ensure that sport becomes an effective tool for the inclusion and integration of children with a migrant background.
Anna Palumbo
Individual Giving Manager & Communication Specialist
A graduate in Contemporary History with a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from the University of Siena, she has been working in fundraising and communication since 2007. Within Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas, she is responsible for Individual Giving. For the Belong project, she manages communication strategies and outreach initiatives.
Consorzio CEIS Modena
The CEIS Group Consortium was formally established in Modena in 2008, as an aggregation of social organizations with deep roots in the CEIS Solidarity Center, founded in 1982 by Father Giuliano Stenico and volunteers to address the addiction crisis and complex social needs in the Modena area. The original CEIS, part of the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities (FICT), had already developed over twenty years of experience in residential and prevention services for people with social, psychological, and addiction difficulties. The goal of establishing the Consortium was to unite diverse organizations under a single legal form, respecting their autonomy but sharing values and approaches to increase the quality, coordination, and effectiveness of services throughout the region. The consortium members operate in a wide range of areas: pathological addictions, reception and inclusion in social care, educational interventions for minors and adolescents, parenting support, migrants, and socially vulnerable groups. The Consortium's primary mission is to put the person at the center, enhancing everyone’s resources rather than their problems and promoting social reintegration. This translates into interventions that integrate community relations, networking with public and private services, and multidisciplinary teams to support each user towards independence and well-being. CEIS also promotes the development of social and community networks capable of fostering inclusion, with constant attention to the local context and the participation of families and citizens. In short, the history of the CEIS Group is a journey of solidarity, cooperation, and social innovation spanning over four decades, deeply rooted in the real needs of individuals and communities.
Daniela Gentilin
Administrative and Financial Reporting Specialist
Daniela holds a degree in Economics and Management from the University of International Studies in Rome and brings over a decade of administrative experience within service cooperatives. She excels at liaising with both public and private entities and specializes in the administration and financial reporting of local and EU-funded projects. Furthermore, she is highly adept at thriving within multicultural professional environments.
Diego Maestri
Procurement and Contract Management Lead
With a Degree in Communication Science and a Master’s in Legal and Forensic Pedagogy, Diego Maestri combines analytical skills with a multidisciplinary academic background. He further expanded his expertise through courses of study in Contract Law at Harvard University and Financial Market Analysis at the International Monetary Fund.
Since 2023, he has been leading the Procurement Department at Gruppo CEIS in Modena (Italy), overseeing contract management processes with a focus on efficiency, compliance, and organizational growth.
Elisa Morselli
Psychologist and Educator
Graduated in Work and Organizational Psychology and in Educational Sciences as a Social Educator, Elisa Morselli is responsible for the organization and delivery of ongoing professional training and career guidance programs aimed at the inclusion of people with disabilities, residents of therapeutic communities, and refugees. Elisa has over 25 years of experience in the social sector, with particular focus on adolescents and vulnerable family units.
Lia Poggi
Communication and Training Specialist
Holding a diploma in Visual Communication and Advertising Graphics, Lia Poggi has over 15 years of experience in training across both academic and social sectors. She is responsible for communication and promotional activities supporting the training programs of Consorzio Gruppo CEIS and CEIS Formazione, an accredited training provider.
Chiara Vallini
Project Coordination Lead - Local and EU Projects
With a degree in Clinical Psychology, Chiara Vallini completed specialized training in Human Resources Management at IFOA – Istituto della Formazione per Operatori Aziendali, followed by advanced training in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Fondazione Marco Biagi of Modena University. Since 2019, she has coordinated the area dedicated to local and European projects for Consorzio Gruppo CEIS, and since 2023, Chiara has served as President of CEIS Formazione, an accredited training provider.
Il Ponte di Civitavecchia
Il Ponte di Civitavecchia was founded as a volunteer organization with the goal of being, as its name suggests, a bridge between people, the needs of the local area, and the community's resources. The association was formed through the commitment of citizens and volunteers who, over time, have chosen to concretely address the social fragilities present in Civitavecchia, promoting solidarity, inclusion, and shared responsibility.
History
The origins of Il Ponte are rooted in a commitment to caring for those experiencing economic, social, or relational hardship. Over the years, the association has built a collaborative network with institutions, parishes, schools, and other third-sector organizations, becoming a local hub for listening to and supporting the most vulnerable.
Mission
The primary mission of Il Ponte di Civitavecchia is:
- Welcoming and listening to those in need (Especially for all nationalities minors)
- Offering concrete, human, and social support
- Promoting inclusion and personal dignity
- Promoting a culture of solidarity and volunteering without discriminations of sex, nationality, culture
Veronica Mantozzi
Vice President and Administrator, Le Ali del Ponte Cooperative
Veronica serves as the Vice President and Administrator of Le Ali del Ponte, a social cooperative affiliated with the Il Ponte association. With a professional background rooted in management and a heart dedicated to social impact, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the cooperative’s mission translates into daily action.
Beyond her executive responsibilities, Veronica is a mother who leads by example. She weaves the values of solidarity and human promotion into both her professional life and her family, believing that true growth happens when we lift others up. Her work is a testament to her commitment to creating a more inclusive community, where dignity and support are accessible to all.
Andrea Pierucci
Senior Educator and Family Consultant, Il Ponte
With three decades of dedicated service at Il Ponte, Andrea Pierucci is a cornerstone of the association’s educational mission. A Sociology graduate and a certified Family Consultant, Andrea has spent the last 30 years mastering the complexities of adolescence and interpersonal relationships.
His extensive experience makes him a leading expert in navigating the delicate dynamics of youth development and family support. Andrea combines academic insight with a deeply empathetic approach, guiding young people and their families through the challenges of growth and connection. For Andrea, education is not just a profession, but a lifelong commitment to fostering dialogue and understanding within the community.
Giorgio (Mohamed) Sharif
Senior Educator and Specialist in Addiction and Youth Distress
Giorgio brings 30 years of extensive experience to the service of others, standing as a pillar of support for those navigating the most difficult life paths. A university-educated professional, he has dedicated his career to addressing the complexities of addiction and adolescent distress, providing a steady hand and expert guidance in high-vulnerability situations.
What truly defines Giorgio’s work is the rare combination of professional expertise and profound humanity. His approach is rooted in deep empathy, allowing him to connect with young people on a level of trust that goes beyond traditional education. Giorgio’s life-long commitment is a testament to the power of presence and understanding in transforming lives and restoring hope to those in crisis.