The eighth edition of SFS – Social Football Summit, the main event organized in Italy dedicated to the international football industry, has concluded. For the first time, the Summit took place in Turin, hosted at the Allianz Stadium, registering exceptional participation from industry professionals, clubs, sports institutions, companies, and media, with over 3,000 attendees, more than 50 panels, over 150 speakers, and 60 partner companies.
The 2025 edition confirmed the Summit’s role as a platform for innovation, networking, and training in the world of football, featuring two days of panels, talks, interviews, workshops, and working groups dedicated to the most strategic topics for the future of the football industry.
Among the over 150 speakers who took the stage were prominent figures such as: Romy Gai (FIFA), Valerio Iachizzi (FIA), Michele Uva (UEFA), Luigi De Siervo (Lega Serie A), Bernardo Azevedo (Liga Portugal), Paolo Bedin (Lega B), Jes Buster Madsen (Saudi Pro League), Lina Souloukou (Nottingham Forest), Marcos Motta (Flamengo), Alfonso Diaz Zaforas (RCD Mallorca), Claudio Fenucci (Bologna), Federico Cherubini (Parma), Laura Cordingley (Chelsea), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Igli Tare (Milan), Roberto Mancini (Al Sadd), Alexander Mühl (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Reschke (Eintracht Frankfurt), Rocio Torres (Atletico de Madrid), Emily Defroand (West Ham United), Nicoletta Romanazzi, Gil Rodas (Barcelona), Daria Braga (Laureus), and Mattia Perin (Juventus) – the first active player to participate in the Summit.
SFS 25 also involved executives and top managers from internationally renowned companies leading the digital transformation of football: Filippo Rizzante (Reply), Sergio Gianotti (AWS – Amazon Web Services), Alessandro Giovannini (European Central Bank), Gianfranco Previtera (Almaviva), Luigi Capitanio (Deloitte), Andrea Peron (Adobe), and Luca Felletti (Intesa Sanpaolo). Their presence confirms the growing attention of the tech, finance, and digital transformation ecosystem toward the football sector as a global platform for the development of new value models, data governance, sustainability, and innovation.
One of the major innovations of the eighth edition was the creation of thematic Working Groups dedicated to co-creating concrete guidelines and proposals. The tables focused on: Artificial Intelligence & Football Intelligence, Infrastructures and Stadiums of the Future, and Female Leadership in Sport. The material gathered will be compiled into a Manifesto of ideas and projects to be presented in the coming months.
The revamped Exhibition Area, which hosted startups, brands, and technology companies in the sector, and the new “Off The Pitch” Speaker Corner, a dynamic space dedicated to editorial formats, corporate presentations, meetings, and cultural talks, were also highly successful. In this context, books by Marco Bellinazzo, Vito Cozzoli, and Giorgio Perinetti were presented, with contributions from guests such as Massimo Mauro.
The SFS Extratime Start Up Competition, in collaboration with Almaviva, featured a challenge between innovative international projects in the tech and digital fields applied to football, and crowned Wovlabs as the winner. Wovlabs is a startup bringing innovation to football merchandising with Authentica, the Digital Product Passport 2.0.
The SFS Awards evening was held at the OGR Torino, recognizing clubs, managers, institutions, projects, and companies that distinguished themselves over the last year in marketing, innovation, social impact, sustainability, and results within the football industry. Among the football organizations awarded in the 2025 edition were: Atletico de Madrid, Barcelona, Bologna, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Napoli, FIFA, and the Premier League.
“SFS 25 represents a crucial stage in our journey,” declared Gianfilippo Valentini, CEO of SFS. “Bringing the event to the Allianz Stadium meant opening a new chapter of growth, creating an even stronger bridge between institutions, clubs, companies, and professionals. Our goal is to continue evolving the Summit as a global platform serving the entire football industry.”
With the conclusion of this edition, SFS confirms its role as an international benchmark for the national and global football world.
Allianz Stadium in Turin Becomes the Global Capital of the Football Industry for Two Days
The eighth edition of SFS – Social Football Summit, the main event organized in Italy dedicated to the international football industry, has concluded. For the first time, the Summit took place in Turin, hosted at the Allianz Stadium, registering exceptional participation from industry professionals, clubs, sports institutions, companies, and media, with over 3,000 attendees, more than 50 panels, over 150 speakers, and 60 partner companies. The 2025 edition confirmed the Summit's role as a platform for innovation, networking, and training in
Road to SFS 25 – Interview with Sergio Gianotti, Head of AWS Public Sector: transforming sports through cloud, data, and innovation
Just days before the SFS 25, we interviewed Sergio Gianotti, Head of AWS Public Sector. AWS is one of the leading technology companies that has made a strong commitment to transforming sports through cloud computing and analytics. How do you position yourselves in this area, and what are the focus areas? "Digital transformation in sports is no longer optional; it's imperative. The sports industry can revolutionize fan experiences, athlete performance, and event management through technology, and AWS wants to be at the forefront of
Road to SFS 25: Innovation and the Future of Football with Alessandro Giacomini of Infront Italy
As we approach SFS25, the Social Football Summit continues to strengthen strategic collaborations with the main players in the world of football and sports business. Among them, Infront Italy stands out as a key partner in innovation, technology, and sports rights management. In this interview, we spoke with Alessandro Giacomini, Managing Director of Infront Italy since 2019, to understand how the evolution of media, changing fan habits, and digital opportunities are transforming football, and how the partnership with SFS contributes to delivering
SFS – Social Football Summit brings the football industry to the Allianz Stadium in Turin
Among the top speakers: Romy Gai (FIFA), Michele Uva (UEFA), Luigi De Siervo (Lega Serie A), Jes Buster Madsen (Saudi Pro League), Luciano Buonfiglio (CONI), Claudio Fenucci (Bologna), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Roberto Mancini, Alexander Mühl (Borussia Dortmund), Rocio Torres (Atletico Madrid), Emily Defroand (West Ham) Today, in Milan, at the Assembly Hall of Lega Calcio Serie A, the press conference to present the eighth edition of SFS – Social Football Summit, the only Italian event of international relevance dedicated to the
SFS EXTRA TIME 2025 kicks off: soccer innovation startup competition
In partnership with Almaviva - final stage on Nov. 18, 2025, Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy Social Football Summit officially launches SFS EXTRATIME 2025, the startup competition dedicated to innovation in the soccer and sports industry, created in partnership with Almaviva, an Italian leader in digital transformation. The challenge, now in its new edition, will be held as part of the8th edition of SFS - Social Football Summit, scheduled for Nov. 18 and 19, 2025 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, offering startups
Football on YouTube: La Liga Leads in Subscribers, but the Premier League Remains the King of Views
SFS in partnership with BuzzMyVideos The year 2025 has definitively marked football’s full entry into the era of digital maturity. YouTube has become the main playing field for clubs and leagues around the globe — a vast arena where success is no longer measured only in trophies, but also in views, subscribers and editorial strategy. In this evolving scenario, the numbers are clear: while the Premier League remains the undisputed leader in total views, the real breakout star of the year is Spain, with La Liga exploding
SENSATIONNELLES 2025: Intermarché in support of women’s soccer and inclusion
Launched in 2022 as part of the partnership between Intermarché and the French Football Federation (FFF), the SENSATIONNELLES by Intermarché program continues to promote women's soccer in amateur clubs, contributing to the personal growth of young people and strengthening ties with local territories and sports realities. Since its inception, the project has received 777 applications and awarded nine clubs for their initiatives aimed at social inclusion, accessibility, disability support, health and personal development. On the occasion of International Women's Day,
AEK Athens FC: Football and Social Action for a Sustainable Future
Guided by its history and roots, AEK Athens FC has developed a social action plan that harnesses the unique power of football to raise awareness about major societal challenges and issues. With consistency and dedication, the Club organizes a range of initiatives designed to make a difference. AEK Athens FC has launched activities in several key areas: fighting racism and all forms of discrimination, promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion with full respect for human rights. Health and education, aiming to
Technological innovation and rehabilitation: the synergy between biosensors, artificial intelligence and telemedicine
Medicine and technology are rapidly evolving, bringing new opportunities to improve the lives of people, particularly those facing physical disabilities. An important area of development involves the use of biosensors and artificial intelligence (AI) for the personalization and enhancement of rehabilitation, both for athletes and individuals with neurological injuries. Recently, Professor Franco Molteni highlighted how innovative technologies can be used to train cognitive and physical abilities, such as self-control, which is essential for athletes during crucial moments in a competition. Studying eye movement,
Italy and Saudi Arabia: Football as a Bridge for Globalization
On January 6, 2025, a remarkable event will take place at the Mansard Radisson Collection Hotel in Riyadh, titled "Italy and Saudi Arabia in the globalization process of football". Organized as part of the Italian Supercup and in collaboration with Lega Serie A, the Embassy of Italy in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Italian Trade Agency, the event aims to explore the dynamics of globalization in football, highlighting the strategic roles of key players like Italy and Saudi Arabia. The event, scheduled