Sun, Oct 14, 2007 - Page 22 News List

Church gives Italian soccer team a hand

DIVINE INSPIRATION Ancona promises fairness and family fun in place of fraud and hooliganism as the Roman Catholic Church steps in to save the soul of Italian soccer

THE GUARDIAN , ANCONA, ITALY

Squad members, meanwhile, are to be turned into models of virtuous behavior, and will have to set aside a certain number of hours each month for good works.

"There are lots of clubs in which the players sponsor projects," Achini said. "But what really happens is that the manager picks them up a half an hour before and says we're going to this or that hospital. The players have no real idea what they're doing."

Achini envisaged players spending about 10 hours a month with "the elderly, disabled people and lads in the parishes."

"Our aim is not to save soccer, but to give a valid witness. We hope that witness gets picked up by other clubs and used as a sort of template," he said. "What is needed is to bring the true values of sport back into the professional game."

Back at the ground, Claudio Amicucci thought it was a "terrific plan for returning the club to its rightful position". Glancing at CSI executives standing by the touchline, he said: "For them to fulfil their aims, they have to give the side visibility. And to do that they have to put it back at the highest level in the game. But then they get what they want, and we get what we want."

As for the players, they seem to be taking the changes philosophically.

"Better to do a few hours of social work than miss a game," said Simone Rizzato, Ancona's star midfielder.

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