Milano Football Week in CityLife: Great Public Success for the Third Edition with over 20 Million Video Views on La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Website and Social Channels

The third edition of Milano Football Week, the event organized by La Gazzetta dello Sport, in collaboration with SmartCityLife and with the patronage of the City of Milan, concluded with great enthusiasm. For nine days, from June 7 to 15, the CityLife district was transformed into the beating heart of Italian football.

Talks, tournaments, games, exhibitions, and football legends animated the Arena and the Fan Zone in Piazza Tre Torri, attracting thousands of fans, families, young people, and casual onlookers. It was a week dedicated to sport, fun, and inclusion.

The “Kick-off” saw the President and CEO of RCS MediaGroup, Urbano Cairo, take the stage at the Milano Football Week, along with the Director of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Stefano Barigelli, and the Councillor for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies for the City of Milan, Martina Riva. The rich event program hosted major figures from the football world, including Cafu, Fabio Grosso, Giovanni Stroppa, Juan Sebastián Verón, Christian Vieri, Walter Zenga, and Gianfranco Zola.

The central Arena hosted tournaments, matches, and freestyle exhibitions by Da Move, in addition to the exciting challenges of Insuperabili, a football school for people with disabilities. The Fan Zone, animated by the brand partners’ activations and music by Radio Italia, offered unique experiences for all visitors.

Kids and families tested their shooting mastery in SmartCityLife’s Precision Challenge, and their strength and balance skills in the Crossbar Challenge and the Upside-down Gol by Clear; they showcased their aim and coordination with Esselunga’s Calcio al Carrello (Football at the Cart) and the timeless Calcio Balilla (Table Football) challenges; they refined their racquet technique and reactivity with the E-padel branded by Cupra; they tested knowledge and skills with engaging quizzes discovering Friuli Venezia Giulia, and competed in Sub Soccer, seated football, with INTRED.

The park also changed its appearance with the Playground, created in collaboration with CityLife Shopping District, transforming into a real football pitch, complete with goals and markings, ready to ignite thrilling matches.

There was also great success for the live podcasts branded Gazzetta, La Tripletta and Only Fanta, which brought quality content to the stage, confirming the event’s focus on new narratives in sports storytelling.

“We have reached the third year of Milano Football Week: events like these are fundamental because they bring people closer to sport. It is always exciting to experience sport actively, listen to the great champions, and, above all, have fun. It was an opportunity to be outdoors, play, and share moments of participation: this is what people truly enjoy,” declared Urbano Cairo, President and CEO of RCS MediaGroup. “During the event, a tournament was also held with Paralympic teams, including our Torino For Disable, which is achieving excellent results: this year it won the title of Italian Champions of the FIGC DCPS III Level and enthusiastically participated in the Milano Football Week Cup – Calcio Paralimpico. We are proud to support initiatives that promote inclusion and make sport accessible to everyone. In addition to the large public turnout, we are also very satisfied with the digital impact: the website and social channels of La Gazzetta dello Sport exceeded 20 million video views during the days of the event.”

“The Milano Football Week has just concluded, and we are extremely proud of the success of this initiative ‘fielded’ by SmartCityLife together with La Gazzetta dello Sport. The enthusiasm and public participation exceeded all expectations, confirming how sport, and football in particular, can unite people in a modern and sustainable urban context like CityLife. Together with La Gazzetta dello Sport, we wanted to create an experience that went beyond the sporting event, offering moments of sharing, culture, and fun for all ages. The large turnout and the energy felt during these days motivate us to look forward to the next editions with enthusiasm. In fact, the CityLife park, which extends for a good 178,000 square meters, with more than 2,000 trees, is once again confirmed as the perfect location for organizing sports, cultural, and social events for everyone,” declared Arch. Roberto Russo, CEO of SmartCityLife, at the end of the sports event.

The Milano Football Week was realized in collaboration with SmartCityLife. Important companies and institutions chose to be brand partners of the event, actively contributing to the development of activities through engaging activations, all strictly football-themed. Main Partner: Clear and Esselunga. Official Car: Cupra. Partners: adidas, INTRED, Friuli Venezia Giulia, CityLife Shopping District. Thanks To: AIN’T Sport, Insuperabili, and Sportland. Official Radio: Radio Italia.

The Milano Football Week 2025 closes with record numbers, surpassing 20 million video views on the website and social channels of La Gazzetta dello Sport, and confirms its role as a flagship event for promoting sports culture, inclusion, and participation. The date is set for next year, for a new, even richer and more engaging edition.

For further information: Spencer & Lewis for SmartCityLife.