Uta, Pavoletti meets with inmates: "I never imagined I'd become a Cagliari resident by adoption."
"Here is an opportunity for mutual enrichment," and he launches an appeal for the start of work on the penitentiary institute's soccer field.
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A Rossoblù morning at Uta prison: Cagliari captain Leonardo Pavoletti met with inmates, prison police officers, officials, and facility managers.
It was the inaugural event of the new season of "Lo sport ti aiUta," a social and sports project that since 2022—in partnership with the "Carlo Enrico Giulini" Foundation, the Sardinia Foundation, and Mediterranea Calcio a 5, and coordinated by Elisa Mascia and the entire educational department of the institute—has allowed inmates to participate in sports activities under the guidance of Cagliari coaches.
Pavoletti retraced his footballing career, focusing on his life in Cagliari, which began with his arrival at the Rossoblu in 2017. "I never imagined I'd become an adopted Cagliari native," he said emotionally. "I've met a wonderful city and its people; my children were born here. We've had some magical moments, some very difficult ones—on the pitch with relegation and protests at certain stages of the season, and off the pitch with my two injuries—but there's never been a lack of affection and respect."
"Cagliari means so many things to me," the striker added, describing a "day that I feel is special, one that we've been thinking about and planning for a long time. I enjoy supporting those who are going through a very difficult period in their lives, talking to the kids stuck here, hugging each other, sharing a smile with an autograph and a few words about the world here and what's happening outside—it's a great opportunity for mutual enrichment."
Projects like this, Pavoletti concluded, "are very important for providing outlets and a sense of freedom, to use a definition the inmates used. I sincerely hope that the soccer field at this facility can soon be made available, so that activities and the tournament can resume as they have in previous years."
The final appeal is linked to the desire of all of Cagliari and the project coordinators to "encourage" the start of the safety and modernization works on the five-a-side football pitch.
