MILAN – After several months of international travel restrictions, the first Inter Campus mission since the COVID-19 pandemic has kicked off today. The first country to welcome the Nerazzurri delegation will be Lebanon, where the boys and girls of the Shatila refugee camp are waiting for us, alongside coaches and families. The schedule includes training sessions, the distribution of materials, practices, matches, and the football Olympics to conclude the week on Saturday.

During this period, in accordance with local gathering regulations, activities on the pitch for the benefit of the communities have continued, as have remote contacts with the Italian staff. Like many of the settings we will return to visit, difficult situations await us, often exacerbated by the months of the health crisis. Lebanon, in particular, is experiencing a moment of social and economic instability that makes the Inter Campus visit even more significant—not only as a physical presence but also as a message of restart intended for all projects worldwide.

Following this, in compliance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), many other countries are on the calendar, including Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. These are communities where Inter Campus has never ceased to operate, adapting to social distancing needs and often pivoting to digital play, but which are now returning to embrace us physically, in the way we love most.