Versilia Football Planet. Three days of sport, passion and entertainment

The capital of romantic football returns to be Viareggio this year too, which for the second summer in a row hosts the great football-themed event "Versilia Football Planet", organized by Marco Calamari and now in its 7th edition, the 2nd in Viareggio thanks to the commitment of the sports councilor Rodolfo Salemi and the entire Viareggio municipal administration after the first 5 years in Camaiore between the Lido and the historic center. Piazza Mazzini for this first weekend in July will be transformed into a sort of football arena that will live with many moments including performances, tournaments, public involvement, talk shows, debates, awards and many surprises. All free admission, with the large Fan Zone open to all ages. Every day, always from 6 pm to midnight, the football village will come to life in the city's best living room, overlooking the sea, for three days of entertainment and passion.

In Piazza Mazzini from today until Sunday a five-a-side football pitch will remain set up on which many challenges of all kinds will be played, from the children of Versilia Calcio a 5 to the girls of Tau Calcio Femminile to the local “champions“ of Aics five-a-side football up to the most experienced of walking football (all with live commentary on the sidelines by the staff of "Palla al centro"). The social/TV format hosted and directed by the journalist Simone Ferro, with the direction of Andrea Ristori, will have a fixed space with its “outdoor studio“ set up for the entire three days on the sidelines. And in its “living room“ set up in the square, various chats with local football personalities will take place (today at 7 pm Martina Benedetti will interview the Viareggio footballer Greta Adami, formerly of Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina). Again "Palla al centro" this evening will give the gala evening of amateur football in Versilia (then broadcast on the YouTube channel "Palla al centro TV") with the awards ceremony for the best of the 2024/25 season on the central stage (starting at 9.30 pm) where Eraldo Pecci will also be present, former champion who won the championship with Torino and who is now one of the leading commentators of "Domenica Sportiva" on Rai.

Today, however, the ball starts rolling from 6:00 p.m., with the many activities of table football (unmissable at 6:15 p.m. is the Team-Gest table football tournament between Versilia football clubs that field their members!), of subbuteo, of Foot Golf, of Foot Darts, with the fan clubs ready to color the square with chants and banners dedicated to their favorite teams. The program is rich, with also the exhibitions of the freestylers of the ball in time with music (tomorrow

and on Sunday international champions Anastasia Bagaglini and Lorenzo Neri will perform). The long weekend will always be accompanied by music and entertainment from Radio Bruno DJs.

The highlight will be tomorrow evening, with the great Saturday night talk show where the guest star will be the Croatian Zvonimir Boban, former super champion of Milan who perfectly embodies the spirit of romantic football. With him on stage Eraldo Pecci, Bedy Moratti, Xavier Jacobelli and Bruno Vesica. Giorgio Chiellini and Massimo Mauro will also be speaking via connection. But the real "gem" of this 2025 edition of the "Versilia Football Planet" is the beautiful literary prize "Autore di stile", which celebrates sports narration with the zero edition of a prize on a national scale that is already a success appreciated throughout Italy.

The event that today, tomorrow and Sunday will entertain the entire perimeter of Piazza Mazzini, both on the seafront and in the fountain area, was presented yesterday morning at a press conference in the innovative gym of the Grand Hotel Residence Esplanade of the Becciani family. Now the public of all ages is expected in this football container... where emotions and sensations of various generations can be intertwined. Because football is a game. And the spirit of the event is to make it live with lightheartedness, enhancing the playful moments, entertaining young and old. There will be no shortage of surprises, as well as precious moments of cultural study.