Press conference unveiled key figures and organizational details
The prestigious location of the “Giuseppe Verdi” Theatre in Salerno hosted the first press conference leading up to the European Universities Games 2026. The event marked the official start of the countdown: in three months, from July 18th to August 1st, the University of Salerno and the surrounding territory will host this big European university multi-sport event.
Around 4.000 participants - including student-athletes and officials - from about 40 European countries, representing nearly 400 universities, will compete in 13 disciplines spread across 15 venues, utilizing a total of 30 facilities throughout the territory.
“It is a deeply emotional moment,” stated Rector Virgilio D’Antonio, “as we launch the 100-day countdown to the European Universities Games. This event offers a fantastic opportunity for students and universities throughout Europe to connect. We are proud to be a crossroads of cultures, using the universal language of sport. Our hard work and our strong collaboration with local institutions show just how much we believe in this vision. Our goal is for Salerno 2026 to be a true celebration of European universities, with our campus acting as the central hub for this sporting and human adventure.”
Thanking the local institutions that will host the competitions and athletes, Rector D’Antonio recalled another important contribution: that of the more than 500 student volunteers who, in the spirit of “Youth Supporting Youth,” will assist with the event across two phases, covering everything from hospitality and orientation to logistics.
The special sporting event, now in its eighth edition, is promoted under the direction of EUSA (European University Sports Association). This year, the Organizing Committee includes the University of Salerno, CUS Salerno, and ADISURC, with the support of FederCusi and the Campania Region.
"We live in difficult times, yet sport - and the European Universities Games in particular - has the power to connect us. That is our hope: to unite everyone," underlined Haris Pavletic, President of EUSA.
“This assignment” - said Lorenzo Lentini, President of the CUS Salerno (University Sports Center) - “was not a given, but rather the result of a solid process. A process that comes from afar, from the tradition of Italian university sport and over eighty years of history of CUSI, which is today recognized by CONI as the Italian Federation for University Sport. After the recent, extraordinary experience of the Naples Universiade, we are now taking a further step. We are bringing Salerno to the center of European university sport. Under the direction of EUSA, the European Universities Games are the largest university multi-sport event in Europe. The Fisciano Campus will be a meeting point for European universities and for all their students, who remain the most important focus of our daily efforts. Salerno 2026 will have a clear, Italian, dynamic, and contemporary spirit, reaching out toward Europe. It is an opportunity to strengthen the international positioning of Salerno and the Campania region and, above all, a showcase for our University in the landscape of European universities.”
The two weeks of sport, knowledge and socialization are also reflected in the message from ADISURC. “We will guarantee university athletes the same services we provide to our students throughout the year: reception and canteen services, including special dietary requirements. It will be an important undertaking,” emphasized Emilio Di Marzio, President of the Agency for the Right to University Study of the Campania Region.
Through its “university campus” dimension, the University of Salerno is ready to become a crossroads of cultures, values and traditions, an international sports destination, but also a cultural reference point capable of welcoming young people and their stories of sport and friendship.
Symbolizing these values is the event’s Mascot, which was officially presented during the conference to the press and the community. The most “iconic” character of the event visually expresses the concept of movement, interpreting the energy and spirit of the University while strengthening the link with the local area and the European dimension of the event. Designed to be empathetic and accessible, the ,ascot is aimed specifically at the new generations: its smile, energy, and dynamism make it a strategic symbol to involve the community and accompany the narrative of the event
Pubblication date: 04-20-2026
