MILAN, March 11, 2025 – In every game, there are two protagonists: rivals on the pitch who, off it, work together to promote the values of sport. They are teams, or clubs if you like, with identities and traditions that each represents. These cultures, especially in international Champions League matches, are rooted in the history of their countries and are often vastly different, although united by the ball.

Inter and Feyenoord, who have collaborated on shared social projects for many years, have decided to go beyond the 90 minutes by promoting a vision of inclusive football, which sees the opponent as a teammate thanks to a shared understanding of sport as a tool for integration and education.

As such, a delegation from Inter Campus met with the young beneficiaries of Feyenoord’s CSR projects in Rotterdam last week. These promote integration and healthy living in some of the city’s most at-risk and multi-ethnic districts. Today, a delegation from the Dutch club was hosted in Milan and met the children involved in Inter Campus’ local projects, who were excited to take part in a special training session with foreign coaches. These activities are carried out in partnership with the Maria Letizia Verga Foundation, where the children receive treatment for childhood leukemia (Sport Therapy), and on the city’s pitches where, following their recovery, the return to normality is facilitated for these young people after many months of hospitalization (Playing Helps you to Recover Better).

The Social Community Exchange project — run in conjunction with UEFA and the United Nations Football for the Goals initiative, in which both Inter Campus and Feyenoord are members — allows children to meet representatives of the other team firsthand to learn what we have in common as well as what divides us: passion for the sport. At the same time, it encourages peaceful coexistence among fans, within a culture of respect and welcoming.

Because without opponents, football would not exist.