Gianfranco Zola to Grace the Soccerex Global Convention
August 14, 2014
Chelsea football legend Gianfranco Zola has confirmed he will be playing at the Soccerex Football Festival and speaking alongside Terre des Hommes on the opening session at the Corporate Social Opportunity (CSO) Zone at the Soccerex Global Convention, 6-10 September, Manchester.
The Football Festival will take place on the first two days of the Convention, 6th & 7th at City Square, outside Manchester City’s Etihad Campus. The festival will include local youth tournaments, competitions, prizes, entertainment and music, leading up to the world famous Legends Tournament where Zola will battle it out with the likes of Louis Saha, Carlos Valderrama, Faustino Asprilla and Dietmar Hamann.
The CSO zone is a new, interactive area within the Soccerex Global Convention’s exhibition hall that showcases best practice in how football can be used as a tool for social development around the world. Terre des Hommes, a federation of organisations working in 68 countries for children’s rights, will use a variety of case studies to highlight how major event organisers need to take measures to maximise benefits for and mitigate multiple risks on children. Zola will be discussing his own childhood, growing up with football, and how important football is as an educational and social vehicle, assisting with emotional behaviour and helping players become more focused, co-operative and socially integrated.
Zola enjoyed an impressive career at some of Europe’s top clubs including Napoli, alongside Diego Maradona, and Parma, before moving to English side Chelsea. In 2003 he was voted Chelsea’s greatest player ever. Since his retirement, Zola moved into managerial roles, with stints at the Italian U21 national side, West Ham and Watford, which he famously took to the play-off final in his first season in 2012-2013.
Gianfranco commented: “I’m excited about coming to Manchester to play in the Festival and to speak at the Convention. I hope my experiences will provide interesting thinking on a subject which is very close to my heart.”
For full information about the Soccerex Football Festival please visit www.soccerexfootballfestival.