Latest news with #MicheleCiccarese
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NHL, NHLPA and Serie A team up ahead of Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics
Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, the NHL , NHLPA , and Italy's Serie A have announced a groundbreaking cross-sport collaboration set to take place this August in Milan. The initiative, revealed on Tuesday, will see top European NHL players train and engage with Serie A stars and legends in a series of special events designed to connect fans of both hockey and soccer. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MCA Management Public Policy Leadership Artificial Intelligence Product Management others Data Analytics Data Science Operations Management Finance Technology Healthcare Others healthcare Project Management Degree PGDM Digital Marketing Design Thinking MBA CXO Data Science Cybersecurity Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details — NHLPR (@NHLPR) The event kicks off on August 22 with the annual NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour, hosted in Milan for the first time. Around 30–40 NHL players are expected to attend. The following day, NHL players will visit Serie A club training grounds, interact with footballers, and participate in events that celebrate the shared athleticism between the two sports. That evening, they will attend AC Milan's season opener against Cremonese at San Siro Stadium. Live Events NHL business president Keith Wachtel and Serie A marketing head Michele Ciccarese began discussing the partnership three years ago, seeing the upcoming Olympics as the perfect opportunity. Their vision gained momentum after a viral jersey exchange between NHL star Mika Zibanejad and Italian football legends Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi in March. Serie A USA CEO Andy Mitchell called the initiative a 'synergy that showcases the best of each league', while NHLPA's Rob Zepp praised the unique bond shared by elite athletes. "In North America, both soccer and hockey have incredibly dedicated, passionate fan bases," said Mitchell. "This collaboration with the NHL and the NHLPA allows us to engage with a global audience in new and exciting ways while celebrating the anticipation surrounding the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. "By bringing Lega Serie A legends and NHL stars together, we aim to create a synergy that showcases the best of each league, creating an unforgettable experience for fans on both sides of the Atlantic." The collaboration aims to build global fan engagement and amplify excitement leading up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
New York Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Battle to stage league games in U.S., Ronaldo – from ‘God' to ‘devil', Vardy era over
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! Foreign league matches in the United States are (almost) go. We're wondering who'll be first to cross the threshold. On the way: Bureaucratic barriers remain but assuming the many stakeholders can clear them, we're beyond the point of asking whether foreign league matches can be staged on U.S. soil. The question now is who will take their roadshow there first — because the race to secure American eyeballs is well under way. TAFC has written repeatedly about official overseas fixtures heading for the States, and the prospect is no longer at an impasse. The resolution of litigation there has set the hares running, with European leagues itching to enter U.S. airspace and people queuing up to help. Advertisement Those wheels have been suspended in the background since 2018, when FIFA blocked a U.S. promoter, Relevent Sports, from hosting a Spanish La Liga clash between Barcelona and Girona in Miami, saying it contravened FIFA rules. Subsequently, U.S. Soccer put up the same opposition to a match involving Ecuadorean teams. Relevent took both parties to court — but earlier this month, the anti-trust lawsuit was settled. The suspension of legal action wasn't an invitation for Europe's governing bodies to cross the Atlantic immediately — FIFA still has to revise regulations which prevent clubs playing league fixtures outside of their home countries — but it wasn't far off. The movers and shakers are mobilising, with the intention of using games in the States to tap deeper into the market there. Everyone from FIFA down wants a cut of the U.S. coin. Adam Crafton's read on the current state of affairs highlights two things: one, that there's unlikely to be any turning back. And two, that the range of competing interests is vast. Premier League matches in the U.S. would be the golden goose. It's the world's richest football league with by far the biggest audience. But previous attempts to take matches out of England have been controversial, and it's not yet at the forefront of the drive to go foreign. La Liga is the frontrunner, but it's not that simple. Real Madrid, for instance, are sceptical about the idea. Spain could also be beaten to the punch by Italy's Serie A and Mexico's Liga MX, both of whom are ultra-keen. As Serie A executive Michele Ciccarese told Adam: 'It's always a race to try to be the trendsetter. The trendsetter is the one who benefits more.' MLS, America's home league, is understandably worried about foreign divisions encroaching and diluting its audience. It's especially concerned about Liga MX. The Mexican population in the U.S. is some 37million, and Club America pull in the highest audiences on U.S. television. It's a threat. Advertisement There are other global players too. Saudi Arabia, which has already hosted certain competitions including Italy's Super Cup, is as willing as the U.S. to host foreign league games there. Likewise Australia. And none of this can be formalised until a FIFA working group agrees on parameters for what can and can't happen. How popular this will be with matchgoing supporters is moot, and a comment from La Liga official Nicolas Garcia explains how the deference to traditional fans is fading. Those who pay for TV subscriptions to watch La Liga in the States, Garcia claimed, are as important as those attending matches in the flesh. 'To think about our fans as only the ones that go to the stadium will be a big disservice for the sport,' he said. With that mantra in place, it's clear which way the wind is blowing. On Monday he called it a 's*** show' and in no time, he'll be out of there. After 11 seasons, a Premier League title, an FA Cup and a veritable fairytale of a career, Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester City. His presence and personality has helped to define the Premier League's past decade and alongside his reputation as a preeminent troll (something I'll miss), he's a dying breed: a £1m signing from non-League who climbed to the very top. Major clubs just don't recruit like that anymore. Yesterday, TAFC chewed the fat about the best Premier League XI of all time, and I won't pretend that Vardy earns a place in that. But I do wonder if any forward in the league has ever been more adept at beating the offside trap, bursting in behind and scoring at pace. It was Vardy's trademark — and he leaves behind the memory (above) of that half-volley against Liverpool in 2016, which only ever needs to be described as 'that half-volley against Liverpool'. There and then, you knew Leicester's 5000-1 bid for the title was about to come in. He hosted the celebration party at his house. Of course he did. Go well. In his pomp, Ronaldo Nazario (R9 to the cool kids) was a finisher without peers. If we're talking about pure killer instinct, very few players rank above him historically. His talent was God-given and inherent. What isn't inherent in the former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker, however, is the ability to run a club. As president of Spain's Real Valladolid, making friends and influencing people appears to be a long way beyond him. Advertisement Real Valladolid's name might ring a bell because a couple of weeks back, we featured two of their players scrapping on the bench. It's easy to sympathise. They're at the foot of La Liga with 16 points, they've lost 13 of their last 14 matches, and were relegated last night after a 5-1 loss at Real Betis. Weirdly enough, the fans want Ronaldo out — and Dermot Corrigan encountered a tinderbox when he went to see how the mess looks first hand. Ronaldo is facing banners and chants calling for his departure. One fan described him as 'one of the worst club owners ever… before he was seen as a God, and now he's like the devil.' But with his investment standing at £30million, can he afford to walk away? Name the seven London venues which have hosted FA Cup semi-finals since the competition's inception. Answers here later today and in Monday's TAFC. (Selected games, times ET/UK) Friday: Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain vs Nice, 2.45pm/7.45pm — beIn Sports, Fubo/Ligue 1 Pass. Saturday: Premier League: Chelsea vs Everton, 7.30am/12.30pm — USA Network, Fubo/TNT Sports. FA Cup semi-final: Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa, 12.15pm/5.15pm — ESPN+/BBC One. Copa del Rey final: Barcelona vs Real Madrid, 4pm/9pm — ESPN+, Fubo/Premier Sports. League One: Wrexham vs Charlton Athletic, 12.30pm/5.30pm — Paramount+/Sky Sports. Bundesliga: Bayern Munich vs Mainz, 9.30am/2.30pm — ESPN+, Fubo (U.S. only). Sunday: Premier League: Bournemouth vs Manchester United, 9am/2pm — USA Network, Fubo/Sky Sports; Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur, 11.30am/4.30pm — Peacock Premium/Sky Sports. FA Cup semi-final: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City, 11.30am/4.30pm — ESPN+/ITV. Serie A: Inter vs Roma, 9am/2pm — CBS, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, Fubo/TNT Sports, OneFootball; Napoli vs Torino, 2.45pm/7.45pm — Paramount+/OneFootball. MLS: Inter Miami vs Dallas, 5pm/10pm — MLS Season Pass/Apple TV. We gave a shout to arguably the worst long throw ever yesterday, prompting a colleague of mine to chastise me for overlooking an all-timer of a miss. So here it is, from this month's Ligue 1 game between Angers and Montpellier. Farid El Melali (for it was he), take a bow.
Reuters
18-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
India could potentially host Italian Super Cup, says Serie A commercial director
BANGALORE, March 18 (Reuters) - Serie A might consider India as a potential host for the Italian Super Cup, in an effort to broaden the tournament's global audience, the Italian league's commercial and marketing director Michele Ciccarese has said. The Italian Super Cup, which is played between the winners and the runners-up of the previous season's Serie A and Coppa Italia, was hosted in Saudi Arabia in January where AC Milan defeated Inter Milan 3-2 to win the trophy for the eighth time. When asked about India's potential to host the Super Cup, Ciccarese confirmed that it aligned with the league's strategy. "What we do is to bring our international trophy like the Super Cup in all over the world, for a simple reason, to engage a wider audience and bring the best of that culture," Ciccarese said during the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit. "So, that's exactly what we might do, and take the conversation forward to ... come here and play in India." India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics is an attempt to position the country as a global sports hub. Ciccarese suggested that the influence of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket competition could promote the country and bring attention to the achievements of other sports, drawing parallels with the "Made in Italy" project. "Made in Italy is how we engaged with all the 20 Serie A clubs, and each club provides one of the important players to promote, not only the city, but the clubs, the territory, the production chain and everything that is around that club," he said. "That's exactly what we are suggesting, or maybe potentially to create a cross-market activation with the IPL together in order to help grow the grassroots, to have the right presence in the 2036 Olympics for Indian football."
The Guardian
04-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Serie A wants to stage first overseas fixture in the US within two years
A senior Serie A executive has said Italian clubs playing a regular-season game in the United States could happen within one to two years but admitted the league had a long way to go to catch up with the Premier League's popularity there. Serie A's commercial and marketing director, Michele Ciccarese, confirmed an earlier comment by its USA managing director, Charlie Stillitano, that it wanted to be the first foreign league to stage a regular-season game in the US. Ciccarese was speaking to journalists and partners at the league's American headquarters in New York and standing alongside Serie A's president, Ezio Simonelli. 'Yes, we would love to do it as the president said; we are working in order to potentially do it, but there are barriers that we need to overcome,' Ciccarese told reporters, citing scheduling concerns such as the clubs' involvement in midweek European competitions and the potential strain on players. 'Who knows, maybe in a window of one to two years potentially we will see the league playing [in the US] if the approvals come.' The path for Serie A to hold league games outside Italy was officially opened last year when the American promotions company Relevent Sports agreed to drop its long-running lawsuit against Fifa over the global federation's rule barring domestic leagues from playing regular-season matches outside their home territories. Fifa, after being dropped from the suit, agreed to rescind that rule. Many fan groups and some clubs are against the idea of exporting games. 'It's always a race to try to be the trendsetter because then the followers come and the trendsetter is who benefits,' Ciccarese said. 'It should be done in a way that makes sense for the club without forgetting the fans … you can not play a Milano derby in America because the fans in Italy will get very upset. That game has a big meaning in Italy. So we have to play in a way that is respectful of our audience' Ciccarese also addressed Serie A's efforts to expand its brand in the US, admitting the Premier League had a considerable head start in that area and was fully embedded in the country's soccer culture. 'The Premier league did an amazing job, especially when we were at the top,' he said, referring to the period in the late 90s and early 2000s when Serie A was at its strongest. In that period, the Premier League signed its first significant US TV deals with ESPN and then Fox Sports, followed by a landmark deal with NBC Sports in 2013, which was renewed in 2022 for a reported $450m a season. NBC's coverage of the league and willingness to put its games on national broadcast television is widely considered to have been instrumental to the competition's growth in popularity in the US. Serie A has been broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ in the US since the 2021-22 season, with that relationship extended for a further two seasons last summer. '[The Premier League] started really promoting it and creating the product abroad, so we came a little bit late,' Ciccarese said. 'We took a good slip, let's say like that. But now we want to go fast.' Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion Ciccarese and other Serie A executives, along with the league ambassadors Marco Materazzi and Andrea Pirlo, spent much of the event promoting Serie A's efforts at integrating into the US market. These include grassroots clinics and a more aggressive marketing strategy over the next 18 months to coincide with the Club World Cup and men's World Cup, which take place in the US this summer and next, respectively. Ciccarese said the language barrier was a factor they were considering, especially considering the prevalence of Spanish among US-based soccer fans. 'But don't underestimate what artificial intelligence can do,' he said.
New York Times
03-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Italy's Serie A seeking to bring regular-season matches to U.S within three years
The Serie A commercial and marketing director Michele Ciccarese says the Italian top flight is seeking to bring regular-season matches to the United States, outlining an ambition to do so within three years. During an interview with journalists, including The Athletic, an event at Serie A's offices in New York City, Ciccarese discussed Italian football's aims to expand its international presence. Advertisement Ciccarese, who was standing next to Serie A president Ezio Simonelli, said: 'All the different leagues are discussing the possibility of playing a regular-season game (abroad). If you look at the NFL, they're playing in Germany, they're playing in London, they are going to play in Australia. So there are a lot of things happening that make the possibility (more real).' He added it was about bringing an international audience closer to the product. One of the obstacles remains that FIFA has previously appeared to be opposed to allowing regular-season games to take place outside a host country. However, the world governing body has been forced to reconsider this position amid a legal tussle with Relevent Sports. Relevent, founded by Miami Dolphins owner and billionaire Stephen Ross, is a media and events company which helped sell the Spanish La Liga's television rights in the North American market and has a long-term agreement to grow the Spanish league's commercial arm in the U.S. La Liga has been attempting to play a La Liga game in the U.S. for more than half a decade and as the proposed promoter of the imagined game, Relevent Sports fought FIFA in the courts to earn the right to do so. In 2024, it achieved a breakthrough when FIFA was dropped from the antitrust lawsuit — which remains against the U.S. Soccer Federation — and FIFA announced its intention to review its policies. At the time, Relevent said FIFA would consider 'changes to its existing rules about whether games can be played outside of a league's home territory'. In May, during the FIFA Congress in Thailand, the FIFA Council approved the formation of a working group to gather further information and issue recommendations on the matter, with the broad external expectation being that it will pave the way towards domestic games being played abroad. FIFA is still to issue further public guidance. GO DEEPER Explained: FIFA moves step closer to allowing domestic club matches to take place abroad Serie A is hoping to be the first European league to do so. Ciccarese said: 'We would love to do it as the president (Simonelli) said. We are working in order to potentially do it but there are barriers that we need to overcome with the right strategy in place and with the support of the clubs, without forgetting that players are players and they have a lot of competition, when they have to play Serie A, Coppa Italia, Champions League and play in international trophies.' Advertisement Asked by The Athletic when he believed it would be realistic as a timescale to deliver the games, Ciccarese said: 'I would say that it's up to us to put together the piece of the puzzle and present a proper strategy to the authorities. This is what we are doing, and who knows, maybe in a window of one to two years, we will see the league playing if the approvals come. For us, we need the approval of the Italian Federation, with the approval of UEFA, then it goes up to FIFA, and then it goes back to the local community.' He was then asked if this is also a race against rival competition, such as Spain's La Liga or UEFA's Champions League, to be the first European league to land on U.S. soil. 'It's always a race to try to be the trendsetter because then the followers come and the trendsetter is the one who benefits more potentially in terms of revenues of making this thing happen. 'So again, it should be done in a way that makes sense for the club without forgetting the fans because you cannot play a Milan derby in America because the fans in Italy will get very upset as that game has a big meaning in Italy, so we have to play in a way that is respectful of our audience.' The Italians are not the only league to have this ambition. The Spanish La Liga has been open about its desire to play a Primera Division game overseas and it has previously had plans thwarted to take a fixture between Barcelona and Girona to Miami in 2018 and then Atletico Madrid against Villarreal in 2019. GO DEEPER Could Barcelona really face Atletico Madrid in Miami this year? The idea of taking matches abroad is largely born out of the desire of rival European leagues to grow its revenues and international impact, when up against the behemoth of the English Premier League, whose broadcast deals globally dwarf those of the Spanish and Italian leagues. La Liga and the Premier League also have offices in New York and also regularly organise friendly games for their teams in other continents during the off-season. La Liga President Javier Tebas has often said — including in multiple interviews with The Athletic — that once it is possible for La Liga to play games overseas, it will do so. GO DEEPER UEFA's talks with Relevent Sports explained: Games in U.S? What would a deal be worth? Why them?
