INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF DEAF PEOPLE: ROSSONERI IN THE NAME OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY | OneFootball

AC Milan, Fondazione Milan and the entire Rossoneri family are celebrating the International Week of Deaf People to promote inclusion and embrace the diversity of a global community of over 430 million people with hearing disabilities, as reported by the World Health Organization.

In continuity with the initiative launched during last season's celebration – a first in Italian football – the official line-up for the Coppa Italia match against Lecce was announced directly by the starting players. With the support of Ente Nazionale Sordi (ENS), each player performed their name sign on the San Siro stadium screens – a unique sign used within deaf communities to uniquely identify a person, usually linked to a physical characteristic, quality, or peculiarity, but also to their surname or favourite goal celebration.

This initiative will be repeated for the upcoming Serie A match against Napoli, not only at the stadium: the special starting XI, revealing the line-up chosen by Coach Allegri, is part of a broader programme of content that will be shared across the Club's digital channels throughout the day, featuring players from the Men's and Women's First Teams, Milan Futuro and the Rossoneri Youth Sector. Meanwhile, a 7-a-side friendly match took place at the PUMA House of Football between the Rossoneri Women’s Primavera team and the Società Sportiva Silenziosa di Milano, founded in 1925 to promote the inclusion of young deaf people in the local area through sport. It was a moment of growth and exchange, encouraging reflection on the importance of communication in football and its many forms.

The Milanello Sports Centre powered by Clivet welcomed a delegation of deaf Rossoneri fans affiliated with ENS, accompanied by a professional Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreter. They were given the opportunity to visit this iconic Club location, attend a training session of the Men’s First Team, and meet players and staff – creating unforgettable memories with autographs, photos and smiles. A similar close encounter was organised for another group of deaf fans after the AC Milan v Lecce match, inside the heart of San Siro.

The celebration of the International Week of Deaf People is part of the Rossoneri family’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, promoted through collaboration with ENS and the Club's "Il Milan per tutti" programme, as well as Fondazione Milan’s "Sport for All" initiative. As part of this commitment, AC Milan continues to provide real-time LIS interpretation of all Coach Allegri's press conferences and the presentations of new men's First Team players, ensuring that fans with hearing disabilities can fully experience some of the most important moments of the Rossoneri football season.