Bocconi Team Symbol of Women’s Soccer in Milan

With its 11 years of activity, it's one of the oldest sports at Bocconi. The women's soccer team actually starter in 1998 in a 5-a-side team, winning the European university Championship in Barcelona three years later, then in 7-a-side soccer, entering the Provincial and Regional Championships in the 2002-2003 season.

Francesco Bulleri

"The biggest step was taken in the 2003-2004 season," explains the general director of the Bocconi Sport Team women's soccer section, Francesco Bulleri. "This was when we enrolled in the Serie D Championship organized by FIGC." The Bocconi team is still a member of this difficult championship, and is the only women's soccer team active in Milan. And they have well-founded hopes of making a longed for step up: "We're second in the ranking," explains Bulleri, "a position that allows us to participate in the playoffs for the move up to C with the certainty of playing only home games. In fact, only the first team in the round moves automatically to the next category and that seems unattainable for us at the moment."

The main team is consistently made up of between 24 and 26 players, three-fours of which are Bocconi students and alumna. Players commit to a Sunday match, along with two practices a week, "which become more frequent during the preparation periods, before the beginning of the championship and during the winter break. In addition," explains Bulleri, "we have been doing a mountain retreat for the past three years towards the end of the summer, the time for preparing for the season. This year the retreat was in Condino, near Pinzolo, in Trentino-Alto Adige." Another flagship, however, is the youth sector: "Thanks to agreements between the Bocconi Sport Team and several schools in Milan and the Province, we actually have a youth sector reserved for girl players as young as 5 years old and who are currently strong in the Under 15 and Under 19 teams."

Young (soccer-playing) Bocconians are getting ready!