Alessio Norrito

Alessio is a current Doctoral Researcher at the University of Loughborough.

His PhD research focuses on the effectiveness of football as a tool to provide skills for refugees and migrants arriving by boat into Europe. The setting of the research effort is the Central Mediterranean Route, conceptualized as a migratory journey that starts from Africa and ends in the European shores.

The aim of his research efforts is to find a "soft solution to a hard problem" by incorporating football practice in temporary asylum refugee camps in Italy and throughout the refugee journey. In order to do so, refugee experiences on football are analysed, focusing on what such sport can mean for resettlement. These efforts are framed within the Sport for Development sector, critically questioning the power of sport to bring up change.