Martina Casadei

Casadei has been a defence player of Flag Football for 7 years. Her love for this sport arose by chance, due to a health problem, which led her to a rehabilitation center where a former American football player and flag football player used to work.

While for any doctor the possibility of returning to sports was far away, this person took her with him to play in the men's flag team, forcing her immediately to learn the fundamentals quickly and above all to assert herself on the pitch. Then, thanks to her first call-up to the Italian National Team, she got to know the women's movement and started playing in the Parma Panthers team, which has become a second family for her.

Martina, in addition to flag football, loves trekking and nature, a passion that she shares with her life partner. The most important milestone for her? The participation of the Italian National Team in the World Games both for the movement and for future generations.

"Those who follow in our footsteps will surely be able to make even bigger dreams come true"

Lorenzo Scaperrotta

Meet 30-years-old Lorenzo Scaperrotta. He plays linebacker and cornerback, safety sometimes. He is known for his jokes.

"I don't get why the coaches don't ever try me as WR: their loss," he jokingly said.

Scaperrotta started playing American Football back in 2010, and Flag Football in 2015. To me it was just a refreshing summer activity with friends, a nice break in-between tackle football seasons. My point of view actually changed after my first European competition, Israel 2019, where we reached 2nd place: one of the most heart filling experiences I ever had in my life.

Apart from playing football, he is a nerd and a dog lover. He currently works as a data scientist/analyst.

Nausicaa Dell'Orto

Born and raised in Milan, Italy, Dell'Orto founded the first ever all-female tackle football team in 2011.

Since then, she has been promoting the American sport in Italy through her storytelling skills.

She plays both Tackle and Flag football. She’s an energetic, reliable teammate, putting into her everyday life the same dedication, effort and passion that she brings to game days.

On the field, Dell'Orto learns the core values of dedication, commitment, hard work and discipline that have fuelled and guided her career as a Documentary producer.

Her documentaries have been nominated at the 2019 Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Feature Anthology. When she is not playing or mentoring younger athletes, she works as a screenwriter and producer for NFL  Films and DAZN.

Matteo GALANTE

32-years-old MATTEO GALANTE, is the captain of the blue team.

The blue jersey has become his second skin for the past 10 years because it has given him so much.

I won 3 silver medals at the 2013/2017 and 2019 Europeans and 1 bronze medal at the 2014 World Cup. To date it still does not seem true to me that I can compete in such a high-level competition as the WG in which we will compete with the best athletes in the world ... it is as if all the staff, including athletes and organisers, have been rewarded for all efforts, sacrifices and disappointments over the years.

His biggest supporter and lucky charm is his 4-years-old child who follows and cheers for him shouting: "he IS MY DAD, HE PLAYS FOR ITALY ..." he wrote.

I CAN'T WAIT TO TAKE THE FIELD AND DEFEND MY COLORS. SEE YOU SOON! TILL THE END

Yvonne Guglielmino

Guglielmino has been playing flag football for 5 years during which she has managed to win 2 Italian titles with the Pink Elephants Catania.

She is a zestful and explosive player…literally. As a matter of fact, she was born and raised in a small town on the slopes of the Etna volcano in Sicily.

Guglielmino has been part of the Italian National team of Flag football for 3 years and has played a European and a World Championship.

She is also a Gymnastics coach, and she’s passionate about martial arts and loves theatre.

She is also a proud mother of two, Sirius and Athena.

Gianluca Santagostino

28-years-old Santagostino is a receiver of the Italian National Flag Football Team who has been playing flag football since 2013.

He has shared the same experiences with captain GALANTE. He won the bronze medal in the 2014 World Championships in Grosseto, Italy and the European silver medal in 2019 in Jerusalem, Israel.

In his everyday life, he is a personal trainer aside from playing football.

I’m very happy that flag football is expanding and the level is rising up: the number of nations participating in international events is increasing and, above all, many young people are approaching this wonderful sport. There is nothing more beautiful than representing your nation during this magnificent event and play this amazing sport," he said.

All thanks to the Federazione Italiana di American Football for the images. For more on the federation check www.fidaf.org and follow them @fidaf_