The Spartak San Gennaro and Al Haddaf soccer teams, featuring young Palestinians, are united by a shared dream: to one day play together when the war is over.
Soccer as a bridge between communities, uniting children and youth who, as they chase a ball, also pursue the dream of a normal life -- and the hope that one day, when the war ends, they can share the same field.
This vision connects two teams: Spartak San Gennaro, a community team from Naples’ Montesanto neighborhood, and Al Haddaf, a team of young Palestinians aged 6 to 17 from Beit Lahia in Northern Gaza, now destroyed, who continue to play on a field in Southern Gaza.
Read AlsoYoussoufa Moukoko: Reaching for the stars
Exchange of videos of the games and messages of solidarity
The two teams are now twinned through an initiative led by Spartak organizers and Jamil Almajdalawi, an educator and representative of Al Haddaf. The teams exchange videos, tactical advice, and messages of solidarity, sharing their experiences through soccer.
Videos from Gaza illustrate the challenges Palestinian children face. In some clips, explosions and the sound of passing aircraft can be heard in the background. Despite these circumstances, soccer offers a way to maintain a semblance of childhood.
"Playing soccer is a way to make our children still feel like children, it is a tool to try to make them live their infancy," explained Almajdalawi.
"Unfortunately, Palestinian children are forced, by the reality they live in, to become adults too soon, to do things adults do such as queueing for bread, helping parents or, when the parents are no longer there, to take care of their younger siblings. My hope is that the Palestinian people can reach peace and that Palestinians and children from Naples can play together on the same soccer field," he explained.
Read AlsoNapoli football star Koulibaly donates equipment to migrants' team
A shirt with the logo of Al Haddaf was realized
On the afternoon of January 8 on the field of the Spartak San Gennaro, in the Ventaglieri park, a game played by the Al Haddaf during the last weeks was viewed.
An area for supporters was set up with flags and the video filmed was then sent to Gaza. To further seal the twinning of the teams, the Spartak San Gennaro realized a t-shirt with the logo of the Al Haddaf team on it and the writing in Neapolitan dialect meaning "children are the same everywhere".
"We started this twinning to try to have Palestinian children feel some humanity despite all that they are living through," stated Ester Sesso, President of the Spartak San Gennaro.
"If we think about how our children live and how those in Gaza live, as a parent and as a human being, I ask myself when all this will end. The dream is to see them play all together, and I believe in dreams," she concluded.
Read AlsoAfroNapoli football team - 'strength in diversity'