Barshim, Tamberi captivate guests at Aspire Academy Global Summit

The 9th Aspire Academy Global Summit culminated with a spectacular Gala Dinner at the historical Villa Miani in Rome. The evening’s highlight was a captivating chat featuring the joint Olympic high jump gold medallists, Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim.The prestigious event featured distinguished guests including ambassador of Qatar to Italy and non-resident ambassador to San Morino Khalid bin Youssef al-Sada, FIGC General Secretary Marco Brunelli, CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation Mohamed Khalifa al-Suwaidi, QFA General Secretary Mansoor al-Ansari, Aspire Academy Director General Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Logistics Abdalla Nasser al-Naimi and General Manager of Al Kass Sports Channels Issa Abdullah al-Hitmi. The guests also included officials from Aspire Academy, the Italian Football Federation, members of the Aspire in the World Fellows programme and media.Tamberi and Barshim’s heart-warming conversation revolved around the remarkable friendship forged between the two champions, shared experiences, and the power of the unbreakable bond they share. Both hailing from athletic families and nurturing their passion for the sport since childhood, they have been steadfast pillars of support, aiding each other’s growth and skill development throughout their exceptional journeys.Mutaz opened up about the strong familial bonds that have shaped him, paying heartfelt tribute to his father, his eternal inspiration, and expressing deep gratitude for the unwavering support he’s received from his mother and the entire family. These roots have been instrumental in paving the way to his continued success at the very top of his sport.The summit concluded in Rome on Wednesday, with chats with Portuguese coach of French club Lille Paulo Fonseca and former Argentina footballer Javier Zanetti.The two-day summit concluded after bringing together football and sporting experts from around the globe as they shared insights, experiences, and innovative concepts. The discussions delved into several crucial topics which sparked extensive conversations about football performance and science.The second day began with a Round Table discussion that included panellists from several clubs including Paris Saint Germain, AC Milan and Barcelona FC. The participants discussed strategies and offered their insights on ‘Enhancing team performance: the individual approach’. The session gave attendees the chance to hear from the different clubs on how they tailor training and recovery strategies to suit individual needs.Christaforo Filetti a Rehab Specialist and Physical coach at French giants PSG pointed out that individualising player’s needs is not always about doing more, but that in some cases doing less can be equally, if not more beneficial, in helping players in recovery and development.The session also highlighted how clubs rarely focus on developing the individual, it’s often centred around developing a team. The speakers concluded that with football changing, it is now even more crucial to understand the individual aspects to develop an appropriate vision for the club and team.Football organisations must have clear expectations of how individuals can perform and develop in order to deliver the game model clubs are looking for. They emphasised the need to also change the mindset of the coach to focus on building on the strongest points of the individual in order to deliver on the success of the first team.Over the course of two remarkable days, the Aspire Academy Global Summit witnessed a plethora of enlightening lectures, dynamic workshops, and invaluable debates. The summit is only made possible thanks to the active participation of international experts and representatives from over 50 football organisations which includes prominent clubs, football associations and leagues.The event included contributions from Italian football icons, Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi and Alessandro Del Piero as well as former Spain, and Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui.