After a long wait, the day arrived. Today is the kick off of the ‘Thinking Football Summit 2022’, a congress that will run until the day after tomorrow, at the Super Bock Arena, in Porto, and which proposes to think about the future of football in a phase that many point to as being one of transition. With a luxury program, expectations for the event are high and Tiago Madureira, executive director of Liga Portugal, told Recordmedia partner of the event, have no doubts that it will be a success.
“We believe that ‘Thinking Football’ will be the biggest football-related event ever organized in Portugal”, considered one of the organizers of the initiative, explaining the reasons that support this belief: “The congress area, by itself, it already has a unique dimension, with more than 300 speakers, 80 conferences, master classes… We will have a great institutional representation, with staff from clubs, brands, world-class staff. We have great themes that funnel into more technical factors, from the ‘fan engagement’; digital transformation; governance and challenges for the future; game, sports management, health and performance; sports law; and women’s football. We want the discussion to go from international football, to national and also to the local. It will be a differentiating event .”
However, ‘Thinking Football’ will not live only in conferences. In fact, there will be much more to see at the venue, as Tiago Madureira also explained.
“We want to bring supporters, especially younger ones, to the event. We will have a mega activation zone in the arena, with a mini-stadium, digital influencers, former players and autograph sessions. simultaneously having the supporters live it and experience it. This will be one of the points of success”, he assured. There is therefore little doubt that there are plenty of reasons to attend the event. However, the hour is approaching, which means you have to hurry. Will you let it go?
Expected moment with Roger Schmidt
Roger Schmidt, coach of Benfica, has planned an intervention during ‘Thinking Football’. However, there are more important names to take into account, some of them already announced and with confirmed presence: Pinto da Costa, Frederico Varandas, Rui Costa, presidents of FC Porto, Sporting and Benfica; Abel Ferreira, coach of Palmeiras; Paulo Futre, former player; Lucho González, former player; Luís Campos, PSG football adviser; and Javier Tebas, president of La Liga.
Schools join in droves
Thousands of people will pass through the congress, among them many children of school age, whose educational establishments will take advantage of the event to show new realities to their students. “On the first day alone, for example, we are talking about almost two thousand students who will pass through here. We are counting on the visit of many schools. These are relevant numbers”, stated Tiago Madureira.
Close to sold out
Corporate tickets, which give access to the conferences, sold out yesterday, so the lecture space will always be full. However, there are still other options for sale, such as ‘streaming tickets’, which give access to the application to watch the conferences, and ‘fans tickets’, which give access to the experience zone. The latter, which can be sold as a family pack, cost from five euros.
Stars pass through the event even today
The Vizela squad doesn’t want to be left out of ‘Thinking Football’ and, for that reason, intends to visit the event today. Players from the Minho emblem will arrive at the Super Bock Arena around 12:00 and will stay there until 13:00, participating in various activities. However, there are other data to be aware of for this first day. Soon afterwards, at 2 pm, Daniel Sousa, new Gil Vicente coach, will give a press conference, followed by an autograph session with Gil Vicente players at 2.30 pm.
At 4 pm, there will be a similar event with athletes from Famalicão, the same time as the joint preview conference of Leixões – UD Oliveirense, counting for the Allianz Cup. Basically, all the conditions are met for visitors to get to know the stars.
Event hosts job fair
Want to work in the world of football? Well, ‘Thinking Football’ can give you that opportunity. As? Tiago Madureira explains. “Let me add a very unique action that we are developing, which is a job fair associated with the event, a job fair for those who want to work associated with professional football. We have offers available for those who participate in the event. People can respond and apply for advertisements already made, as they can independently submit their applications”, he pointed out.
