20/11/2007 - LOTTO CLOTHES THE SECOND EDITION OF THE CLERICUS CUP

Priests and seminarists on the football pitch from November to May with Lotto kits and balls

Rome (Italy), 20 November 2007.- The second edition of the Clericus Cup kicks off, the football competition for the devoted and seminarists. Lotto Sport Italia, Italian leader in the manufacturing and distribution of sports footwear, clothing and accessories, confirms its role as technical sponsor of the 16 teams participating in the event.

Lotto will supply the balls and match kits, including shirts, shorts and socks, thereby clothing over 300 players in the competition. Lotto has also customised the winning team’s shirts from the first edition, the Redemptoris Mater, with the application of a commemorative shield of the victory.

Following the success of the first edition, which took place from February to May 2007 and saw the competition of 350 priests and seminarists from 51 countries from 5 continents, Lotto Sport Italia decided to also sponsor the second edition with renewed enthusiasm. The first Clericus Cup was rich in emotions and technical advancements, all of which were topped off with fair play and sportsmanship, the finest values in football. The first religious football cup was a real competition where there was no lack of healthy rivalry, but which was however confined to pure entertainment and respect for the opponents and the desire to socialise as part of the fun. All of which are values that are a part of history and the tradition of Lotto.

“Our participation in this project,” declares Alberto Landi, Marketing Director of Lotto Sport Italia “has its roots in the company’s culture. Lotto has always interpreted sport as commitment, loyalty and, above all, the tool that is able to cross social, political and geographical boundaries. A due thank you therefore,” continues Landi “to the organisers, to CSI (Centro Sportivo Italiano) and in particular His Eminence Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone for having offered us this opportunity”.

The second edition of the Clericus Cup kicks off on Tuesday, 20 November at the Marmi stadium in Rome and the final winner will be decided in May 2008. 7 days with 2 rounds made up of 8 teams have been arranged for the elimination stage, which will contend for victory through to penalties. These matches will be played on the pitches of St. Peter’s Oratory. The quarter finals and semi finals will take place on 5 and 19 April respectively in the form of a single match. The final that will decide the winning team will take place on 3 May. The 3rd and 4th place final will occur on the same day. Participation at the regional and/or interregional finals of the Italian CSI Open category championship is up for grabs.