The incredible Italian football team (made up of nuns)

RomeMatch day is a special day, a day unlike any other. For a few hours, a group of nuns from their respective monasteries scattered across the Italian peninsula put aside their tunics to put on their jerseys, socks, and shorts. From the start, they unleash football energy: vitality, a competitive spirit, and a relentless drive to give their all for their team. The nuns hold nothing back; they are true football players who fight for every ball and, through this team play, seek to defeat their opponents.

Moreno Buccianti, 68, is the coach of this peculiar team. He calls out and gestures with passion, trying to transmit to his players the energy and strategy necessary to win. "Spin the ball quickly!" he encourages them, "when you're in front of the goal, you have to shoot!" After a glaring error by one of his players, he exclaims: "Holy Mother of God!" Someone in the audience bursts into laughter, but Buccianti doesn't lose his composure. He continues giving instructions and makes some substitutions. Mister Buccianti is a special coach because he coaches the most unlikely teams.

For about twenty years, he has coached the priests' national team, with whom he has already played 500 matches. And about ten years ago, the idea of a nuns' national team arose when, on a field in Ostia, near Rome, he was amazed by the dribbling skills of Sister Daniela Cancilia. "The idea of creating a nuns' national team came to me at that moment," Moreno explains. Sister Daniela and Sister Ornella Maggioni immediately set to work finding players. And so, today, Italy is the only country in the world with a nuns' national team. Coach Buccianti highlights his multiple roles within this team: "I'm the coach, the president, the warehouse manager, the physiotherapist, and, naturally, I also wash the shirts," he says, somewhat exhausted but smiling. Each shirt is personalized with the initials "Sr." (Sister). The team only plays friendly matches for charity purposes: it debuted by challenging a group of mothers who are victims of violence, and again played against young people from foster homes, the women's team of the Rebibbia prison in Rome, and the Italian national team. curvy, the selection of actors, and many others. For Sister Marianna Segneri, a staunch defender of the team and a teacher at a convent in Ciampino, football is a means of spreading solidarity. "We don't come here to preach the Gospel," she says, "but to bring joy, smiles, and faith into life. If the Gospel also arrives afterward, all the better. Sport is a universal language, a bridge that can bring even the youngest people closer to faith."

A divine gift

Marianna has always loved football, is a Milan fan, and didn't hesitate to see the creation of the nuns' national team as a divine sign, a gift that has enriched her religious life. On the field, she is as focused as her idols, Paolo Maldini and Marco van Basten. Looking at her, no one would imagine that beneath the nun's habit lies such a combative player. However, her life is founded on service, prayer, and dedication.

She sends the ball to Sister Annika, who outplays her opponent and scores the first goal for the nuns' team. The two embrace in an explosion of joy. Annika, 35 years old and with short hair, is the team's top scorer. "Football is good for the heart; it's a team game, it brings people together in an individualistic society." As a child, Annika alternated classical dance with soccer. She played with her male teammates, whom she had to silence with skillful plays and lifting the ball from behind "Pelé-style" to earn the right to play. When she returned home, covered in mud, her mother made her change in the garage. She has lived in the convent since 2017 and made her final vows just a year ago. "I didn't think I would become a nun," she explains, "I had other plans. I was studying at university and wanted to be a restaurateur." But a spark ignited within her during World Youth Day in Madrid. "I did a year of discernment, prayed more intensely with a spiritual guide, and then decided." Today, Annika teaches art history at the Harina High School in Vicenza. Her students occasionally invite her to play some tricks during recess. "It's important to educate people about beauty," she says, "and there is no greater beauty than that of God. I would like to be able to spread this message."

A hidden passion

This conviction that sport can be a means of solidarity and charity is shared by all the team members. In particular, Celeste Berardi, the team's talented midfielder. At the Ciampino convent, she is primarily responsible for children's education. She organizes theater classes and enjoys playing the guitar. But soccer has always been her great love. "Just when I was leaving soccer to follow my faith," she says with an emotional smile, "I was involved in this beautiful project. It was a confirmation of God's greatness." For Celeste, faith is a feeling that permeates every aspect of her life, a vocation she felt since she was a child. "I fell in love with a God who gave me all the happiness and love in the world, a God who always sought me out, especially in the most difficult moments, a God who was a husband and companion." For her, the selection of nuns represents an extraordinary experience, a rare but immensely significant opportunity to give vent to a passion that would otherwise have remained hidden.

Soccer isn't just a sport, but a deep bond that allows them to live out those dreams that religious life doesn't always allow them to realize. The national team, in fact, doesn't have many opportunities to take the field. "There are many teams that would like to challenge us," says Mr. Buccianti with a smile, "but the nuns have a lot to do and no money," he explains. "Logistically, it's a rather complex process." In fact, the nuns' national team plays approximately once a month. The nuns explain that they don't have much time to think about soccer and that they practically never manage to train together, as each one has their own commitments. Therefore, the nuns only get together for games. "It's already a miracle that we've found enough nuns to play soccer," confesses Mr. Buccianti. Today, after months of selection, the team has consolidated its presence with around twenty players, including Daniela Cancilia, Livia Angelilli, Celeste Berardi, Emilia Jitaru, Regina Muscat, Marta Ronzani, Cornelia Magbici, Marianna Segneri, Annika Fabbian, Francesca Avanzo, and Gilberta Ugeito. However, it's not always easy to count on everyone. "We often struggle to assemble the starting eleven," adds Buccianti, who soon hopes to find an international team that could challenge the nuns' team on the occasion of the jubilee. "For me, this is a challenge, and I will continue on this path," explains the coach. "Some priests and bishops occasionally look at me in astonishment. They know I'm a lay person and ask me what I gain from all this..." "So, what do you gain?" "I hope it's heaven!"