Milano–Cortina 2026 Begins: How Northern Italian Football Clubs Are Leveraging the Winter Olympics?

Roger Hampel

Image: Juventus FC

The Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games officially begin today, placing northern Italy at the centre of global sports attention. While the event is not directly connected to football, several Italian clubs have used the Olympic context to reinforce visibility, narrative alignment and institutional presence in their host cities.

Juventus FC Milano–Cortina 2026

Juventus’ involvement around Milano–Cortina 2026 remained closely tied to city-level and institutional activities.

• Giorgio Chiellini and Cristiana Girelli were selected as Olympic torchbearers during the relay in Turin, linking the club’s men’s and women’s leadership directly to the Games

• Official Milano–Cortina mascots appeared at Allianz Stadium on matchday, integrating Olympic symbolism into the live football environment

• Overall activity aligned with broader civic celebrations in Turin.

Image: Juventus FC

Inter Milan

Inter adopted the content-driven approach, combining owned media, historical storytelling and stadium-based visibility.

• Launched W-Inter Games, an original Inter TV series connecting winter sports with football through player-led storytelling, quizzes and Olympic-inspired challenges

Image: Inter Milan

• Published long-form editorial content examining Inter’s historical links to winter sports, including ice hockey, bobsleigh and skiing, positioning the club within a broader multi-sport legacy

• Leveraged San Siro matchdays as Olympic touchpoints, including public announcements of Javier Zanetti and Cristian Chivu as torchbearers ahead of the Games

Inter’s approach extended beyond symbolic presence, focusing instead on narrative depth and owned-channel distribution.

Image: Inter Milan

AC Milan

AC Milan’s activity centred on city representation and venue symbolism, reflecting San Siro’s role in the Olympic programme.

• Released the “Welcome to Milan” video, positioning the club as a host welcoming athletes, delegations and visitors to the city

• Referenced San Siro as the venue for the Olympic opening ceremony, framing the stadium as a landmark rather than a football asset

Venezia FC

Venezia FC’s involvement relied on location-specific symbolism and cultural context.

• Midfielder Gianluca Busio carried the Olympic torch along the Grand Canal, travelling on a traditional Venetian boat

• The moment was framed around Venice’s heritage and visual identity.

Como 1907

• Head coach Cesc Fàbregas took part as a torchbearer during the Olympic relay’s arrival in Como

No additional campaign or supporting activation accompanied the appearance.

Atalanta BC

• Club captain Marten de Roon represented Atalanta during the torch relay’s stop in Bergamo

No dedicated Olympic marketing or content strategy was introduced.

Image: Olympics

Key Observations

In the period leading up to Milano–Cortina 2026, football clubs have primarily used the Olympic context to strengthen narrative positioning, institutional visibility and alignment with city-level values. Activities observed so far have focused on presence and symbolism. At the same time, these early actions may create indirect points of contact with wider sports audiences — including followers of winter disciplines — as the Games progress and global attention intensifies.