Lega Serie A, Italy’s premier professional football league, has announced the upcoming opening of its first office in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in Abu Dhabi, led by Alfonso De Stefano, an accomplished executive with over two decades of experience in the regional sports media industry, including roles at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Abu Dhabi Media.

To celebrate this milestone, the league has partnered with XDubai, the leading adventure and extreme action sports hub in the UAE, and launched an enthralling video that captures the arrival of Italian football in the region.

The video showcases some of the league's top teams skydiving over the UAE, donning their respective jerseys against the backdrop of the country's most famous destinations, with a glimpse of soccer legend, Christian Vieri, at the helm of the aircraft.

Commenting on the announcement, Michele Ciccarese, Commercial and Marketing Director at Lega Serie A, said, “Our collaboration with XDubai for the official launch of Italian football in the MENA region presents a significant opportunity for Lega Serie A and its clubs to expand their reach on a global scale. With more than 30 million Calcio fans in the region, including a predominantly young demographic with half of the population under 25, the MENA region represents a key market for us. As the football industry experiences a surge in original content creation, sports organisations must cater to their target audiences and distribute localised content. XDubai's adventurous spirit makes them the ideal partner for us, and we are thrilled to embark on this journey together.”

Mohammad Javad, General Manager of XDubai, said, “As Dubai’s action lifestyle experience brand and the symbol of its spirit to constantly raise limits and set new standards, XDubai’s extraordinary experiences, platforms and partnerships are designed to inspire people of all ages and abilities to explore life differently, see the world from another perspective and passionately express an X state of mind. We are delighted to collaborate with the Italian football league through a shared passion to go beyond, together re-imagining the limits of what each of us can accomplish as we collectively work together to support the growth of Italian football in the UAE and the wider region."

During the Leaders Sport Business Summit held in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, Lega Serie A announced its intention to embark on a six-month global roadshow across five continents, leading up to the sale of its television broadcasting rights. Abu Dhabi Media and Starzplay hold exclusive streaming rights for Serie A matches in the MENA region, which includes more than 20 countries, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Morocco.