Parma, 29 March 2024 - Training, development and research. These are the three central areas of the collaboration between the University of Parma and Parma Calcio: a relationship that expands and is further implemented, further enriching a program that started in 2021.

“The activities born from the collaboration between the Sports Sciences courses of the University of Parma and Parma Calcio are virtuous examples of profitable synergies between the University and local sports clubs. For us these are important collaborations - comments the Rector of the University of Parma Paolo Martelli - primarily thinking about the training of our students, who can learn a lot from those who work in professional sport'.

Roel Vaeyens, Managing Director Sport, confirms that the “official” collaboration is also important for Parma Calcio. “This partnership offers many opportunities both for the University and PC. Within our Club’s vision, the exchange of knowledge and the scientific support fits well in our holistic approach of player development. Giving opportunities of practical experience to students will allow them to discover and learn from our organization. We are really happy to formalize the close and successful collaboration with the University of Parma”.

As regards training and development, in addition to training internships for the degree courses in 'Motor science, sport and health' and in 'Sciences and techniques of preventive and adapted physical activities', now consolidated in the Youth Sector and recently also extended to women's football, theoretical-practical lessons have been held starting from the 2022-2023 academic year. In particular, the Director of the Performance & Analytics Area of ​​Parma Calcio Mathieu Lacome, the Head of the Sport Sciences Area Mauro Mandorino and the Head of the Data Analytics Area Sebastian Coustou carried out a highly specialized course entitled 'Analysis of the performance of sports squad'. The students were then invited to attend the training sessions of the Under 19 team and to meet with the technical staff at the Mutti Training Center in Collecchio.

Giancarlo Condello, professor of Theory, technique and teaching of team sports at the University of Parma, underlines: “The course carried out in collaboration with Parma Calcio allowed the students of our University to acquire specific knowledge particularly relevant for the new job opportunities that are being created in professional technical staff'.

The research represents a significant new form of collaboration between the University of Parma and Parma Calcio. President Kyle J. Krause's Club participate in the financing of a PhD scholarship in Molecular Medicine (XXIX cycle) of the Department of Medicine and Surgery on the topic 'Growth, maturation, workload and risk of injuries in youth football'. Started in November 2023 and for the following 3 years, a doctoral student will develop a research project by carrying out part of the activity at Parma Calcio and collecting useful data to expand scientific evidence in the field of youth training and sports performance. 

As Mathieu Lacome, Director of the Performance & Analytics Area of ​​Parma Calcio, explains: “We are pleased that the collaboration with the University of Parma has taken on a complete and continually evolving form. This allows us to come into contact with the academic world and develop a new training approach for young people. Our job is to enable students to receive information and processes that could be decisive for their careers in the future, as they potentially represent the future generation of coaches, physical trainers or analysts. Our dream is that they can be the protagonists one day, as coaches, physical trainers or analysts, to help Parma Calcio win matches and trophies”.