“FOOTBALL’S VIBES” is a photographic project developed in Rome in 2023 that aims to narrate how human beings can surpass the limits imposed by their physical condition without accepting them passively.
Through the storytelling of the history of these athletes who, despite being visually impaired, have had the strength to pursue their passion for football, the author intends to explore that distinctly human attitude of not resigning oneself in the face of unfavourable or even dramatic life events, always striving to conquer the freedom to soar beyond obstacles.
Sport provides the context for these athletes to showcase their immense inner strength.
It’s a team game, and the mutual support between players forms the solid foundation on which they face this titanic challenge.
The rules of the game differ from those of regular 5-a-side football; in particular, the goalkeeper is sighted and cannot leave the small area in front of his goal. The field is bordered by boards on the sides, and the ball cannot go out of play on the sides.
However, it’s evident to anyone approaching this reality that the game is based on another sense that the athletes have particularly developed: hearing. The ball is an acoustic ball and can be acoustically perceived by the players.
Each team has two guides: one positioned at the sideline and the other behind the opposing goal. Their role is to provide players on the field with instructions on how to move, how to interact with teammates, where opponents are positioned, and which is the direction of the ball.
Even in case of penalty kicks or free-kicks, the guides inform the designated player about the right and left posts of the opponent’s goal and where the crossbar is.
The players themselves collaborate by loudly calling out to each other and providing their teammates with “spatial” auditory cues about their positions, generating an incredible “concert” of emotional sound vibrations.
In Italy, there has been the National Federation (FISPIC) since 2010 that organizes the National League, the National Cup, and the Super Cup.
In Europe, the first national league took place in Spain in 1986, and similar federations emerged later in Germany, Greece, and England.
In the rest of the world, this movement has mainly developed in South America, with Brazil boasting the strongest national team. Since 1998, eight editions of the World Cup have been held, all won by Brazil and Argentina.
Starting from Athens 2004, blind football is part of the Paralympic disciplines and will also feature in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris in September 2024.
The association ASD Roma2000, thanks to which this project was developed, is an amateur sports association established in 1997 in Rome. It has always operated in this field, promoting 5-a-side football for the visually impaired for individuals of all ages. Today, it represents the strongest and most significant team in Rome, so much so that, starting from September 2023, it became part of the AS ROMA Academy, the football academy of AS Roma, the main football team in the city.