Parma, 28 February 2024 - Parma Calcio as a model for innovation in research and development in the world of football. This is the vision of the Performance & Analytics department, headed up by Mathieu Lacome, who, at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in Parma, welcomed 6 of the most important European Universities for the first workshop from the scientific board at the Gialloblu club.

“Our Club - underlined Chief of Performance & Analytics, Mathieu Lacome - is working to become one of the most innovative and competitive football clubs in Europe in this area, combining analysis, sports science, and football knowledge. But we know that we cannot do it alone. For this reason, we have created a committee that unites the best researchers in Parma and Europe. Together with them, we want to challenge our daily lives, sure that this international collaboration will be useful in updates on the latest innovations in the field and will be finalised by the creation of multidisciplinary projects and collaborations'.

The project began in 2023 and on Tuesday 27 February, before Parma vs. Cosenza, brought together certain members and professors from some of the most prestigious and well-known European universities at our stadium, in Parma.

In attendance were Florentino Huertas from the Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Antonio Tessitore from the Università Foro Italico di Roma, Julien Louis from the “John Moores University” in Liverpool, Giancarlo Condello from the Università di Parma, Mathieu Rosenbaum of the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and Ryland Morgans from Cardiff Metropolitan University.

This event was an opportunity for exchange between different cultures and ideas with the end goal of creating an international collaboration that expands the research and development projects at Parma Calcio.

The scientific board has a two-year duration (2023 to 2025), and over this period, aims to confront and discuss ideas linked to science that can be applied to football.

The project is mainly based on the maintenance of a scientific programme that aims at the enrichment and expansion both of the Club in general and the Sport area, where well-being, performance, and analysis are at the centre of future project collaborations with the development of multidisciplinary activities within and outside of the sporting community.

Also at the workshop was Managing Director Sport, Roel Vaeyens, who brought greetings from the Club, and then left the floor to Mathieu Lacome to proceed with the event and to the Head of the Sport Science area, Mauro Mandorino who outlined the various projects and opened discussions with the professors and attendees from the European universities.