In Abbiategrasso, on Milan’s outskirts, a group of former pupils have found a way to keep their school bond alive through football. Their new seven-a-side side, Saffioti FC, carries the name of the teacher who made a lasting impression on them: Claudio Saffioti, a 39-year-old Italian and Latin teacher from Torre del Greco and an unapologetic Napoli supporter.
The decision
The club began with a surprise inside a final-year classroom at the Bachelet Human Sciences high school. Saffioti arrived one morning to find every student standing, each wearing a Napoli-blue shirt printed with his image, complete with the shoulder bag that has become part of his familiar look.
It was the presentation of Saffioti FC, named in honour of a teacher the pupils felt had never hidden behind the distance of the desk. Daniele Grassi, who helped drive the project, said Saffioti had taken a genuine interest in their lives, including the small questions that matter to young players, such as how a match had gone.
The original class has now left school, but the team remains. It has entered a CSI seven-a-side competition, giving the group a reason to stay together beyond their final lessons. Saffioti has accepted the role of president and is expected to be present with the side.
For the teacher, the gesture was deeply moving. He said pupils need more than instruction: they need to feel listened to. In his view, school and sport can produce something valuable when they meet on equal terms.
The story comes against a harsher backdrop for Italian schools. A 66-year-old teacher in Rome was stabbed by a 13-year-old pupil shortly after the start of the academic year, while 52 attacks on teachers were recorded during the previous school year. In Abbiategrasso, the formation of a former students’ football team offers a quieter counterpoint.
Sunday’s picture
Saffioti FC will begin its campaign on Saturday, with the long-term ambition of reaching Terza Categoria. Its president already has a dream fixture in mind: one day, a friendly against Napoli.
There would be no divided loyalty from the lifelong Napoli fan, despite a memory that still defines his support. In December 2010, during a Europa League night against Steaua Bucharest, he remained at the Stadio San Paolo as others left because of the cold, then watched Edinson Cavani score in the 92nd minute.
If Saffioti FC ever meets Napoli, however, he knows where his support would go. “I would cheer for my boys,” he said.
