Coverciano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coverciano, also known as Casa Italia, located in the quartiere of Florence with the same name, is the central training ground and technical headquarter of the FIGC, the Italian Football Association. Built in the early 1950s, Coverciano now consists of five football pitches, a gym, a fitness club, two tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool. Also boasting a four-star hotel, Coverciano has been a common choice for football business meetings, and has hosted, in addition to the FIGC, international bodies such as FIFA and UEFA. Its training and licensing academy for coaches is considered to be one of the best in the world.

Most important, however, is the ground's role in Italian football lore. Host of the Italian Football Hall of Fame, and the national team's preparations for the World Cup, reaching Coverciano represents something of an apotheosis for any aspiring Italian footballer, as Joe McGinniss observes in his award-winning memoir The Miracle of Castel di Sangro.