The EPLAY Videos from the Ground
At the end of the EPLAY Methodology testing phase in each of the three FA partner countries
(Lithuania, Malta, and Romania), three videos were produced, one for each country. These
videos provide a comprehensive overview of the methodology testing process, showcasing
the activities implemented throughout the various phases. They feature youth football club
coaches, children, and parents participating in the training sessions or in small interviews
and offer insights into how the methodology was implemented within each national context.
Lithuania (MaFA)
Malta (MFA)
Romania (FRF)
EPLAY Final Conference & Tournament (3rd – 5th October 2025)
On Friday, 3rd October 2025, the UEFA Foundation for Children hosted the Final Conference of EPLAY at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, titled “Together for Fair Play: Insights and Remarks from the EPLAY Project”.
The conference featured a presentation of the project and its outcomes, including a roundtable and interviews with children and parents who were involved in the Methodology testing, fostering reflections from project leaders, partners and participants, together with football players and referees. The event highlighted the importance of fairplay, education toward tolerance and respect through football, and the need for collaboration between coaches and parents.
Two days later, on Sunday, 5th October 2025, the UEFA Foundation for Children hosted the EPLAY Final Tournament, bringing together children and parents from the three national Football Associations involved in the project. The event featured 7-a-side matches played in a spirit of joy, respect, and fairplay.
A final ceremony celebrated the participants and reaffirmed the project’s values of sportsmanship and fairplay.
Multiplier event – Italy – 26th May 2025
On Monday 26th May 2025, within the framework of the EPLAY Project, the primary school D.D. Dante Alighieri of Mirandola (Province of Modena, Italy), in collaboration with UNIMORE (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), ForModena, and Disprassiamo association organized an event involving fifth-grade students of the school and their families. The event included an opening ceremony with institutional greetings from the mayor of Mirandola, as well as from Unimore and AC Reggiana representatives. Then, the event aimed at involving children and their parents in multiple psychological-sports activities, in collaboration with physical education teachers of the school and Unimore trainees. More specifically, parents and children were collectively involved in activities focused on reflecting on the importance of including and respecting others and to build cohesive communities, including a final dodgeball match where parents and children played together in the spirit of fairplay. Finally, the evening closed with a symbolic graduation (“cap toss”) and a shared buffet, to celebrate the end of primary school for fifth grade students who are about to transition into middle school.
Overall, the event involved approximately 561 people, including primary school students, their parents, teachers, institutional authorities, members of Unimore, AC Reggiana, and Disprassiamo association.
EPLAY National Tournament in Lithuania
From May 1st to May 26th, 2025, the Lithuanian grassroots football association – in collaboration with FK Vilkija – made a further step in bringing the EPLAY Project to life with an exciting tournament celebrating fairplay, inclusion, and team spirit!
The tournament/sport event involved 16 teams of children aged 10-17, their parents, and other 5 teams of matching age.
Overall, the tournament involved 300 participants (approximately 60 % males and 40% females).
EPLAY parents and children tournament in Lithuania – football club Vilkija
Multiplier event – Italy – Unimore and ForModena, 18th December 2024
On Wednesday, 18th December 2024, in collaboration with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and FORMODENA, within the framework of the European project EPLAY, an anti-bullying awareness initiative was conducted. The initiative included a cineforum, during which participants –students of the Levi Institute, Vignola (MO)– watched the movie “Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa” (The Boy in the Pink Pants). Following the screening, the audience participated in a collective discussion moderated by two UNIMORE professors, along with student representatives and a teacher. Participants discussed on the importance of respecting others and standing against injustice.
The intervention involved 20 classes, reaching a total of 600 students (approximately 60% males and 40% females).
Exceptional Multiplier event “Football for all”
Italy – Unimore, ForModena, in collaboration with AC Reggiana 1919
7th June 2024
The event was aimed to promote fairplay and acceptance of diversity, with respect to diversity
based on ethnicity, gender, disability.
A tournament was organized, with matches with players from
teams of people with disability (Regia for special, that is the disability team of AC Reggiana),
females (Reggiana female team, players of different ethnicities (playing for the Integration League
promoted by LegaPro in Italy), players from Reggiana grassroots. The tournament was organized
by creating mixed teams, and after the institutional greetings, it was followed by a “third time” in
line with the newly developed EPLAY methodology. The event was attended to by 27 male players,
and by 15 female players.
Multiplier event – Italy – Unimore – 14th May 2024
Il Galvani scende in campo: Una giornata a sostegno della legalità e del rispetto [Galvani takes the field: A day for legality and respect]
UNIMORE and ForModena in collaboration with AC Reggiana 1919 conducted a day dedicated to the role of sport in promoting fairplay, in the form of legality and respect toward others.
The day started with a lab conducted by Police on bullying and cyberbullying, followed by a lab field activity designed by UNIMORE: guided by UNIMORE researchers in collaboration with ForModena, students engaged in football matches without and with rules, aimed to raise awareness on the importance to follow rules. Such activities were followed by a football tournament directed by Reggiana coaches and school professors, with mixed teams, with each team including males and females, Galvani students, police players (State Police, Local Police, Carabinieri, Italian Finance Police), players from the grassroots of Reggiana. The event was attended to by several Reggio Emilia city authorities, including: Prefect, Police Commissioner, Head of Carabinieri, Head of Italian Finance Police, representative of Firefighters, representative of Reggio Emilia Municipality, representative of AC Reggiana 1919. The emerging message is that students and institutions play on the same team, against all forms of violence and discrimination.
Attendance list (with signatures): City, police and school authorities: 10 (7 males, 3 females); Football coaches and managers Reggiana: 3 (3 males); Grassroot players Reggiana: 6 (3 males, 3 females); School professors: 10 (1 male, 9 females); University students Unimore: 10 (4 males, 5 females, 1 non-binary); High school students: 117 (46 males, 71 females); Police players: 10 (9 males, 1 female) – Total attendance: 166 (73 males, 92 females, 1 non-binary).
Sport associations: Ac Reggiana 1919
Civil institutions: Municipality Reggio Emilia, Institute Galvani Police Institutions: State Police, Local Police, Carabinieri, Italian Finance Police, Firefighters.
Exceptional Multiplier event – Italy – Unimore, ForModena, AC Reggiana 1919– 6th December 2023
Organization event “Non è solo un gioco: riflessioni e testimonianze a sostegno della formazione del giovane calciatori” [“It isn’t just a game: Reflections and testimonies supporting education of young players”]. The event was organised to discuss recent risks for young players, including dependencies on pharmacology or bets, match fixing, other disfuntional behaviours. These were discussed with main actors of Italian football, including a professional team (AC Reggiana), President and lawyer of Lega Serie B, President Associazione Italiana Calciatori, President National Observatory of Sport Events of the Ministry of Interior, Representatives of Police, Sport Magistrate, Sport Psychologist, UNIMORE in terms of social and developmental psychology, role model football players, players engaging in disfunctional behaviours disclosing their experience. The event was attended to by authorities (Emilia-Romagna Region, UNIMORE, Reggio Emilia municipality, Reggio Emilia Province, Reggio Emilia Police, Montecchio Municipality, Reggio Emilia Carabinieri, Ministry of Interior), members from sport organizations, as well as civic society, grassroot football players, students. The event was attended to by many more persons who did not sign the attendance list (including teams from the female grassroot teams of AC Reggiana). Videos of the event were created, also for public dissemination. The event had a good media response.
Attendance list (with signatures):
- Sport associations/institutions: 16 males; 8 31-45 years, 8 46-60 years
- Civic and public authorities/institutions: 6 males, 2 females; 2 19-30 years, 1 31-45 years, 4 46-60 years, 1 > 61 years
- Civic associations/media: 8 males, 2 females; 1 19-30 years, 2 31-45 years, 5 46-60 years, 2 > 61 years
- Citizens: 6 males; 1 under 18 years, 1 19-30 years, 1 31-45 years, 2 46-60 years, 1 > 61 years
- Football players: 49 males; 41 under 18 years, 7 19-30 years
INTERVIEWS
Exceptional Multiplier event – Italy – Unimore and ForModena in collaboration with AC Reggiana – 6th May 2023
Organisation event on sustainability in football, in relation to the importance of creating safe sport environments for young people, but also use football values to spread the importance of well-being related to social inclusion and anti-discrimination, with the involvement of main actors like parents, football teams, institutions. The event was organized at the MAPEI Stadium in Reggio Emilia, and was attended to by several institutions, citizens, and students. It included a conference, with speakers being representative of local and national civil and sport institutions, like: Police and Municipality Reggio Emilia, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, representative Region Emilia-Romagna, Football Social Responsibility Officer Italian Federation of Football (FIGC), President Lega-Pro Italy, President UEFA Foundation for Children, Manager Foundation Chelsea, Manager Cagliari Calcio, President Reggiana Calcio, representatives of local sponsors and sport partners. The event also included a practical “field” part, where students and citizens took part to football activities structured psychologically to foster a sense of social responsibility and the role of football, so that they could “play” social responsibility. These activities were also meant to make the familiarize with the activities conducted by UNIMORE, making clear what football can do for people. Activities and conference were attended to by at least 150 people, including several representatives of institutions. Unfortunately, only a fraction of them signed the attendance list. Official presents are therefore of 40 males and 16 females, for a total of 56 persons.
The event received attention from the media, like local TVs and newspapers and social media (e.g. Reggiana Calcio, UNIMORE).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
EPLAY: Educating Parents, Leaders And Young people 