kick cancer in the teeth

For eight years, a special team has been travelling around Italy with a mission that goes beyond the result on the field. It’s the PSV Eindhovena team of the Department of Hemato-Oncology of the Gaslini Institute in Genoa, coached by Dr. Massimo Conte and made up of young people - both in therapy and off therapy - who share the same strength: that of those who have never stopped believing in the future. They do this through the most universal language there is: football. A ball becomes hope, and it’s a simple and powerful message: cancer can be cured. And with a touch of irony - smiling is also a form of resistance - the name of the team, “PSV Eindhovena”, evokes the world of football and at the same time conveys an identity made up of courage and determination. This year, their journey will take them to Olbia, from April 30th to May 3rd, for the Manlio Selis World Tournament, an event featuring former glories of Italian football. Above all, it will be an opportunity to meet, share and energise: at the same time, there will be a tournament between teams made up exclusively of young people from AIEOP (Italian Association of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology) facilities. Young people between the ages of 14 and 21, with two female players on each team: because strength doesn't have a single face, and courage has no gender.

Many of these young people are here today, both on the field and in life, thanks to innovative treatment pathways resulting from an ongoing scientific research program. Behind every match there are difficult days, waiting, fears, but also steps forward, outstretched hands and trust. And there is concrete proof that science and humanity can change even a single destiny. Ala Guizzi supports this sporting initiative because it believes deeply in the union between sport and science: an alliance capable of giving courage to young people and their families. Because every goal, every hug at the end of the match, every hard-earned smile on the field tells us something that really matters: that we're not alone, that we can fight, and that hope - when shared - becomes stronger.