Sicily national football team

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Sicily
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Naziunali Siciliana
AssociationSicilia Football Association
ConfederationCONIFA
First colours
Second colours
Third colours

The Sicily national football team (Sicilian: Naziunali Siciliana di Palluni) is the representative football team of the island of Sicily. It is controlled by the Sicilia Football Association and is also colloquially referred to with the name Naziunali Siciliana. The Sicilia F.A. was founded in 2020.

It is not affiliated with either FIFA or UEFA and is therefore not allowed to participate in either the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship. However, since June 2021 the Sicilia F.A. is associated with the CONIFA, therefore the team can participate in the CONIFA World Football Cup and in the CONIFA European Football Cup.[1]

History[]

In the past, the idea of creating a Sicilian national team has been already proposed by some journalists and Sicilianist circles.[2][3][4]

The current project started in 2019 following the first contacts with CONIFA.[5] The project was born thanks to the synergy of a Founding Committee from the three metropolitan cities of Sicily: Palermo, Catania and Messina. The official foundation of the Sicilia F.A. dates back to 15 May 2020, while the public activities were launched in 2021.

At the foundation Salvatore Mangano from Messina was chosen as President, Angelo Priolo and Fabio Petrucci from Palermo as Vice-president and General Secretary, while Alberto L'Episcopo from Catania - a former Manager of the Serie A team Chievo Verona - is the General Manager.[5] Mario Bonsignore - former President of A.C. Ancona, Manager of F.C. Messina and Marketing Manager of the Malta Football Association - is the General Consultant of the Sicilia F.A. Pietro Cannistrà and Benedetto Bottari - protagonists of the S.S. Milazzo’s promotion to the Lega Pro - are respectively Head of the Sporting Area and Team Manager.

One of the main goals of the Sicilia F.A. is the promotion of the Sicilian national identity through football. Indeed, the initiative of the Sicilian national football team is based on the idea that Sicily represents a stateless nation with its own geographical peculiarities, history, language and culture.[6] The Sicilia F.A. has already signed partnerships with the "Accademia della Lingua Siciliana" ("Academy of the Sicilian Language") and the Cultural Association "Lu Statutu" in order to realize its goal.

Very soon, the birth of the Sicilia F.A. inspired the fantasies of the media about the international players that theoretically could wear the jersey of the team, from Mario Balotelli to Vincenzo Grifo.[6][7]

The first two football associations that acknowledged the Sicilia F.A. were the national football teams of Sardinia and Corsica.

The Global Executive Committee of the CONIFA accepted Sicily as a member association on 27 June 2021.[1]

The Sicilia F.A., with a futsal selection, is one of the six participants to the 2021 CONIFA No Limits Mediterranean Futsal Cup.[8]

[]

Flag of the Sicilian Vespers

The official colours of the Sicilian national football team are red and yellow, like the flag of Sicily.

The logo of the Sicilia F.A. is based on the flag of the Sicilian Vespers and contains the motto “Animus Tuus Dominus”, used by the Sicilian rebels during the anti-Angevin revolution.

Kits[]

The Sicilia F.A. announced three football jerseys, all dedicated to the history of Sicily.[7]

  • 1st: "Vèspiru": red and yellow with the emblem of the Sicilian Triskelion, in honour of the Sicilian Vespers (1282);
  • 2nd: "Fidiricu": white with 4 red and yellow stripes and a Swabian eagle, in honour of the royal flag established by King Frederick III of Sicily in 1296;
  • 3rd: "Ruggeru": blue with a red and white checkered stripe, in honour of the foundation of the Kingdom of Sicily by Roger II in 1130.

is the official kit supplier of the Sicily national football team.[9]

Anthem[]

The Sicilia F.A. ha chosen as official anthem the cabaletta Suoni la tromba from I puritani (1835) by Vincenzo Bellini.[10]

Media partners[]

A partnership between the Sicilia F.A. and the football TV WeSport.it was announced through the social media on 2 June 2021.

Management and Staff[]

Position Staff
President Salvatore Mangano
Vice-president Angelo Priolo
General Secretary Fabio Petrucci
General Manager Alberto L'Episcopo
Treasurer Giuseppe D'Andrea
General Consultant Mario Bonsignore
Head of the Sporting Area Pietro Cannistrà
Team Manager Benedetto Bottari
Head of Communication Fabrizio Di Blasi
Publicist Gaetano Mangione
Head of International Relations Mario Trabucco della Torretta
Ambassadors Giovanni Privitera (France)
Mario Trabucco della Torretta (Great Britain)

References[]

  1. ^ a b "CONIFA welcomes the Sicilia Football Association". CONIFA official website. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Nazionale di calcio siciliana" (in Italian). L'Altra Sicilia. 12 August 2003. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Una nazionale di calcio siciliana. Che ne pensate?" (in Italian). BlogSicilia. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Una nazionale di calcio della Sicilia? C'è la proposta degli indipendentisti" (in Italian). goal.com. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Nazionale siciliana di calcio, l'idea parte da Messina. Ecco i primi nomi" (in Italian). Gazzetta del Sud. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Nasce la Nazionale di calcio della Sicilia: i giocatori che potrebbero farne parte" (in Italian). calciopolis.it. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Nazionale di calcio della Sicilia, l'idea tenta il decollo: contest per il logo ufficiale" (in Italian). Palermo Today. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  8. ^ "CONIFA makes history with No Limits Mediterranean Futsal Cup". CONIFA official website. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  9. ^ "EYE Sport partner tecnico della Nazionale Siciliana" (in Italian). official website. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Nazionale Siciliana: "Suoni la tromba" di Bellini é l'inno ufficiale" (in Italian). WeSport official website. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.

External links[]

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