Roma dedicates school outreach programme to the memory of Willy

On Wednesday night, at the Benito Stirpe stadium, the captains of both Roma and Frosinone paid tribute to Willy before kick-off of their friendly match.

Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolò Brighenti, captains of Roma and Frosinone, held up shirts featuring ‘Willy 10’, which had been signed by the players of both clubs.

The shirts were subsequently presented to Willy’s sister, Milena, who was at the stadium as a guest of Roma.

In dedicating the 'A Scuola di Tifo' programme to Willy, the club intends to preserve the memory of Willy’s life, as the club delivers interactive sessions designed to promote mutual respect, tolerance and the importance of confronting bullying when it visits in elementary, middle and high schools within the capital.

“In the last few years with A Scuola di Tifo programme, we have made it an absolute priority to tackle the subject of bullying when we take our players into schools,” said Guido Fienga, AS Roma CEO.

“Using the topic of football and sportsmanship, we impress upon the young students the value of respect, solidarity and equality and the need to tackle hate wherever we see it.

"What happened to Willy Monteiro Duarte on Sunday was absolutely horrific, but by dedicating this Roma Cares programme to him, we can hopefully keep Willy’s memory alive and make a positive impact on the behaviour of the young people we engage with.”

Click on the Roma Cares page to discover all the club's initiatives in support of the local community.