‘I face every situation with a smile, because it is contagious and creates positive energy for me and the people around me.’
Hello, I am Raffaella Manieri, a former professional footballer and now a teacher at the FIGC. Welcome to my world!
For me, football is more than a sport: it is a school of life made up of passion, sacrifice and smiles. From the field of Santa Maria dell’Arzilla to the Azzurri jersey, I have always believed in the importance of inspiring and guiding the new generations by discovering their talent.
With the Raffa Manieri Academy my goal is to help girls and boys realise their dream of playing football, without ever ceasing to believe in themselves.
To do this, I was inspired by everything I learnt during my career, which also led me to play at Bayern Munich, where I grew up both as a footballer and as a woman. There I experienced what would only happen in Italy several years later and saw how normal it was in Germany for boys and girls to play together.
Starting with my experience as a footballer and as technical manager at Pink Arzilla, together with Francesco Marcucci I developed a methodology which is now the core of the Raffa Manieri Academy and which is mainly based on the Mixed Team, i.e. boys and girls playing together up to a certain age. This choice not only promotes the strength of unity, but also allows everyone to grow together, valuing diversity and developing unique skills.
The Pink Arzilla project was born in embryonic form around 2015 within Arzilla Calcio, the club in Santa Maria dell’Arzilla, Pesaro, where my adventure as an athlete began. In a short time, Pink Arzilla achieved important goals and acted as a real pilot project for the Academy. Every success achieved is a testimony to what can be achieved when you work together with dedication and determination, believing in what you are doing.
They are so many dots on a map that slowly came together to arrive at the current results. Not definitive, because there is always room for improvement and learning. I am proud of what we have built with the extraordinary people we have met along the way. But we are not stopping here: the journey continues!
ACADEMY
PINK ARZILLA
Our Values
Inclusiveness: we create situations where all girls and boys feel welcome
Opportunity: we offer girls the chance to approach football and promote their personal and sporting development
Diversity: we value differences as strengths, encouraging a culture that welcomes and celebrates the variety of experiences
Respect: through our methodology we teach not only football skills, but also important values such as respect, discipline and cooperation
Personal growth: we support the individual growth of female athletes, helping them to develop self-confidence and skills that are also useful off the pitch
Passion for football: we encourage the love for this wonderful game, emphasising its positive and healthy aspects
