Francesco Lupattelli: Participation of citizens in sport activities is growing year after year

“The easier way to have access into sport the better results.”

Gian Francesco Lupattelli is the President of the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation (ACES). ACES Europe is non-profit association based in Brussels which assigns every year since 2001 recognitions of European Capital, City, Community and Town of Sport. ACES Europe is recognized by the European Commission in the White Paper.

From the point of view of your long experience, how do you appreciate the involvement of European mayors in different sport events and initiatives?

Year after year the commitment of the cities with sport is bigger and bigger. A good signal is that the participation of citizens in sport activities is growing year after year. This is a good result according to the involvement of the Mayors and policy makers, more and more with physical activity and sport.

What requirements must a city meet to achieve the recognition of European Capital of Sport?

We base our evaluation on 10 criterias about sport participation, infrastructures, investments, managing, promotion and the candidates must have high results (from 75 points of 100 and even more depending on the category). 

Do you think that European citizens have easy access to facilities and places for sports?

Local authorities should improve a little bit this point giving even more opportunities to inactive people of practicing sports with free access. Most of the times, the city and local governments are the first step and contact of the people with the sport. The easier way to have access into sport the better the results will be.

The European Capital of Sport 2018 is Sofia, what to expect?

Sofia has been doing an extraordinary work for the last 3 years. They have been working on the European Capital of Sport with a lot of effort and passion. Thanks so much to Andrey Kovatchev who always believed in the possibilities of Sofia and Bulgaria. Thanks as well to the Lady Mayor - Yordanka Fandakova and Anatoly Iliev who is developing a full programme of activities in the city during 2018. 

What do you think about a unified platform for European municipalities and its main goal to make and keep European citizens better informed about what is taking place in the EU?

Congratulations for the project and the platform. To spread the European values with initiatves like this is very helpful and makes us stronger as European citizens under the same flag.