Milan/Florence, 25 August 2017 – Launching alongside the first ACF Fiorentina home match is a new initiative developed by JRE and Infront Sports & Media, a Wanda Sports company, and marketing partner of ACF Fiorentina. The initiative will see 19 of the best Italian JRE chefs prepare a traditional regional dish from the opposing team at each home match. These dishes will be served in all the hospitality areas of the Artemio Franchi Stadium.
The project is developed to enhance the match experience, creating a union between the Italian passions of football and food; the latter intended as a means of cohesion and warmth. Thanks to Infront's competencies in different international sports, where athletic performance is often only one driver of an event, this project will enrich the experience at the stadium and deliver a message of socialisation, joy and fair play.
Luigi de Siervo, CEO of Infront Italy, said: “We have decided to start this project with ACF Fiorentina, because we believe Florence has a remarkable tradition of fair play and respect which perfectly suits this initiative whose distinctive feature is the respect of the guests. We firmly believe this project will allow guests to experience the hospitality areas in a different way, spending more time in the stadium to socialize. We chose JRE as a partner, because the brand represents the excellence of Italian cuisine, a guarantee of quality, with young chefs bringing new ideas that still respect and honour traditions. We intend to propose similar initiatives across other football teams with whom Infront works, customising to the specific needs of the clubs, with the same objective of making the match experience more memorable and unique.”
Mario Cognigni, Executive President of ACF Fiorentina, said: “We are delighted that our stadium is the first to host a project like this. We warmly welcome this initiative which creates occasions for socialization, while highlighting the talent of young professional chefs, who will find in our hospitality areas a great place to show their competencies and passion to an audience as interested as ours.”
Luca Marchini, President of JRE Italy, said: “Passion for food and passion for sport: this connects the living and being of each Jeune Restaurateur. A path full of histories, traditions and knowledge, which regenerates, stimulates and pushes us to consider and interpret food every time in a different way. From this perspective, our success is the result of the projects we completed, of the moments we shared, the ideas we had, the improvements we made. Furthermore, a source of the power of JRE, as an association, is the continuous improvement of our sensibility, in tasting but also in perceiving, that the role of chef requires. All of this means that Cuisine – on purpose with the capital C – is art, a discipline full of values to safeguard and to promote tirelessly, with a non-renounceable quest for perfection, exactly like a football team. Today we are facing a top class – a “Serie A” – challenge. We are honored to face it and ready to spread the quality of our cuisine for this new project, together with Infront and ACF Fiorentina.”
The initiative will start on Sunday, 27 August at the Fiorentina – Sampdoria match, with chef Andrea Sarri of the Ristorante Sarri of Imperia, who will prepare its most famous dish: Plin ravioli with pesto, prepared on a soup of fresh tomatoes and olives. A tribute to the tradition of Liguria and to it the products of its lands.The chefs will be supported logistically by Galateo, the official supplier of ACF Fiorentina for all the hospitality areas of Artemio Franchi.
JRE is an international association of young “restaurateurs” who have talent and passion for food and wish to share it with others. In Europe the association has more than 350 restaurants and 160 hotels in 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Luxemburg, Holland, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom. JRE in Italy consists of 83 chefs, who combine talent for high quality cuisine with passion for European and local traditions. Their cocking experience, together with the stunning atmosphere of the restaurants, offers an incredible culinary experience.
Infront Sports & Media, a Wanda Sports company, is one of the most respected sports marketing companies in the world, managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events – including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, event operation and digital solutions – and has won a reputation for its high standards of delivery. As the number one player in winter sport and with a leading role in football, summer and endurance sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with 170 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 900 experienced staff working from over 35 offices across more than 15 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year. In November 2015, Infront was integrated into Wanda Sports Group, part of the Chinese conglomerate the Dalian Wanda Group.
Wanda Sports is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media & marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Led by President & Vice Chairman Philippe Blatter, Wanda Sports incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.