by InTrieste
On a cold January afternoon in this hill town in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a regional soccer final became something more than a sporting contest. It marked the opening of a year of commemorations for the 50th anniversary of the devastating 1976 earthquake that reshaped Friuli and left a lasting imprint on its communities.
The final of the Coppa Italia di Eccellenza was played on Saturday at the Simonetti Stadium before a large and attentive crowd. The match featured Juventina Sant’Andrea and Sanvitese, two amateur clubs with deep roots in their respective towns. Juventina emerged victorious, winning 2–0 and capturing the first major trophy in the club’s history.
Before kickoff, players, officials and spectators observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the 1976 earthquake, which killed nearly 1,000 people across Friuli, as well as those who died in a recent tragedy in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The moment of quiet set a reflective tone for a day that linked sport, memory and community.
The match officially inaugurated a calendar of events that will unfold across Friuli in 2026 to mark half a century since the earthquake, one of the most traumatic — and transformative — moments in the region’s modern history. Gemona del Friuli, one of the towns most severely affected by the disaster, has become a symbolic center of both remembrance and reconstruction.
The final was attended by a wide array of sports and civic officials, underscoring the importance of the occasion. Among those present were Giancarlo Abete, president of Italy’s Lega Nazionale Dilettanti; Antonio Zappi, the national head of referees; Ermes Canciani, president of the regional branch of the Italian Football Federation (Figc); and Riccardo Ros, head of the regional referees’ committee. Local leaders also attended, including Roberto Revelant, mayor of Gemona del Friuli, and Alberto Bernava, mayor of San Vito al Tagliamento, along with representatives of both finalist clubs.
Beyond the trophy, the stakes were high. The regional final determines which club advances to the national phase of the Coppa Italia di Eccellenza, a competition that offers direct promotion to Serie D, Italy’s fourth tier, for the 2026–27 season. Starting this year, the tournament is officially known as the Coppa Italia Bluenergy, reflecting a new sponsorship agreement.
For Juventina Sant’Andrea, the victory was a milestone, crowning a season-long run through the competition and securing a place on the national stage. Sanvitese, despite the loss, was widely praised for its performance throughout the tournament.
The choice to open the anniversary year with a football final was deliberate. In Friuli, amateur football clubs have long served as gathering points, especially in small towns where the legacy of the earthquake is still visible in architecture, family histories and collective memory. The 1976 disaster not only destroyed large parts of the region but also sparked a reconstruction effort that later became a model for community-led recovery in Italy.
Organizers emphasized that the commemorations will focus not only on remembrance but also on passing that history to younger generations who did not experience the quake themselves. Saturday’s match, attended by families and young fans, reflected that intention.
The event was made possible by the Gemonese Calcio club, which hosted the final and provided its facilities, with the support of dozens of volunteers. Their work highlighted the continuing role of grassroots sport as a social anchor in a region that, five decades after tragedy, continues to find ways to bring people together — on and off the field.
