SFS is thrilled to announce the renewal of its partnership with Almaviva, an Italian leader in Information & Communication Technology, as Main Partner for the SFS 26.
A key player in digital transformation for over 40 years, Almaviva has long supported the innovation journey of businesses and public administrations. Through a global network of companies and offices in Italy and abroad, the Group drives the evolution of end-to-end processes and systems across strategic market sectors, positioning itself as a true digital leader.
In an industry like football, which demands increasingly strong convergence between operational management and advanced technological solutions, the collaboration between SFS 26 and Almaviva focuses on adopting integrated Digital Transformation strategies.
The Almaviva Group's offerings are built around three core pillars — Digital Change, Digital Relationship Management, and People-centered Technology — aimed at developing new and sustainable business models. Almaviva fully embodies the digital innovation process reshaping the entire sports sector: from integrating cutting-edge technologies — such as Data Analytics, IoT, Wearable Devices, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and E-ticketing — to innovative solutions like the Smart Sport Platform. By connecting the organization of sporting events with tourism offerings, hospitality, and sustainable mobility, Almaviva provides an integrated tool to monitor flows, enhance local heritage, and manage destination capacity, elevating the overall experience for fans, athletes, and visitors alike.
Almaviva will also drive technological change across the Football Industry through active participation in vertical panels and working groups featured in the official SFS 26 program, confirming its role as a strategic pillar for the evolution of the entire ecosystem.
On November 11, at 2:25 P.M., on the Industry Stage by Social Media Soccer, a panel discussion titled “When AI Defends Football” will take place. In this session, Vincenzo Pinto (Director of PAL & Utilities Market | Cyber Division, Almaviva) will join other speakers — Adriano Bacconi (CEO of Math&Sport), Alberto Greco (Manager Sales Engineering, Crowdstrike), and Pietro Di Maria (Cybersecurity Manager, Cagliari Calcio) — to discuss the growing digitization of football, which exposes clubs, organizations, and sports infrastructure to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The panel will aim to explore the evolution of Security Operations Centers through agent-based artificial intelligence, which can support the identification, analysis, and response to cyberattacks.
The discussion will bring together technology experts and sports organizations to examine the opportunities presented by the Agent-Based SOC, the new risks introduced by automation, and the role of human oversight. Because defending football today also means protecting the digital infrastructure that makes it possible.