Starting whistle to reflect about the present and future of football
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It is taking place in Super Bock Arena – Pavilhão Rosa Mota, the second edition of Thinking Football Summit in Porto. Until Saturday, some of the biggest names of the football industry worldwide will gather to explore, think, and debate the sport “that awakens millions of passions all around the world”.
“Much more than a simple game, these days football constitutes a multidimensional phenomenon, and its impact is felt in different areas of human life and activities”, the mayor of Porto City Hall highlighted in the opening session, Thursday morning.
For that reason, Rui Moreira believes that “the urgency to contemplate football” is unequivocal. Beyond the competition and the “entertainment for the people”, today the sport is “a highly profitable industry”, but also “an instrument of geopolitical affirmation, as we are witnessing in Saudi Arabia, where football serves as the sportswashing of a completely theocratical monarchy”.
The mayor of Porto City Hall reinforces that Thinking Football Summit “is already the most important event of this kind in Portugal” and that it has been gaining affirmation in Europe “as an innovative space for reflection, debate, celebration and interaction dedicated to football”.
Acknowledging how the city “vibrates with football”, Rui Moreira states that the initiative “distinguishes Porto and reinforces its international notoriety in a sport in which we have an historical tradition and renowned success”.
Pedro Pinto, and the founder of Empower Sports, Caroline Buckland, the official for the fans of Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One Team, Robbie Lyle, founder of Global Fan Network, Arianna Criscione, director of Women’s Football, Antero Henrique, manager for Qatar Stars League, Pierdamiano Tomagra, marketing official for the Italian Lega Serie A, Marco Castellaneta, official for the digital area of Juventus, Andrés Garcia, female football scouting coordinator for Madrid Athletic Club, and Rosalía Ortega Pradillo, sports lawyer.
In addition, the three days of the event offer the opportunity to listen to testimonies from the presidents of the biggest Portuguese teams, such as FC Porto, SL Benfica, Sporting CP, SC Braga, and Vitória SC, and from many international teams, for instance, Valencia, AS Rome, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham, Arsenal, Juventus, Madrid Athletic Club, and Wolverhampton.
Organised by the Portuguese League, in partnership with Fun-Addict, Thinking Football Summit is sponsored by Porto City Hall.