TURIN, Italy — Soccer needs fresh energy. It needs ideas and projects that will help the sport keep pace not only with the times, but also with younger generations. Giorgio Chiellini has always tried to stay one step ahead — and his influence has never been limited to the field.

As a defender, he was famously described by José Mourinho as a university professor when it came to marking opponents. Off the field, Chiellini has pursued interests that might once have seemed peripheral to soccer but are increasingly central to its future. While still playing, he earned an undergraduate degree in economics and a master’s degree in business administration.

It was only natural, then, that he would take a keen interest in the three-day Wave by Vento event at Turin’s OGR, where he engaged with young participants and heard their ideas for new ventures.

“My message to all of them is to hold on to the enthusiasm they brought with them over these past few days,” Chiellini says. “It’s contagious, and it does us older people good, too. Our job is to help them channel their skills and ideas in the right direction, so these projects don’t lose momentum along the way.”

Chiellini speaks from experience and with an eye on the future. He was also on hand to present the latest chapter of Juventus Forward, the initiative through which the Turin-based club is bringing 11 startups into its organization for a second consecutive season.

Soccer is increasingly embracing innovation and technology, and Juventus is moving early, not just by Italian standards.

“The first season impressed me,” Chiellini says. “Forward was a project we had envisioned, and seeing it become a reality was extremely rewarding. What struck me most about the startups was their determination to keep improving. That’s the spirit we want to carry forward.”

As Juventus’ Chief Club Affairs Officer, Chiellini emphasizes that the Club “has always been a pioneer, both on and off the field. Innovation is a powerful force, and it must remain one of our core values in the future.” The same commitment is reflected in an executive master’s program developed in partnership with the Polytechnic University of Turin.

Juventus is on the attack once again. But the goals this time are not scored on the field. They are the objectives the Club hopes to achieve through innovation.

Following the partnerships developed during its first season, Juventus has introduced the new Forward Squad, bringing together startups working on solutions tailored to the Club’s needs.

A roundtable moderated by Carolina Chiappero, Juventus’ Innovation Manager, brought together representatives of the program’s first and second cohorts. Julia Nasi, Strategic Partnership Adviser at Veevi, represented the first group, while Verena Papik, Chief Emotion Officer at Talkalytics, and Roma van der Walt, CEO and Founder of Vitelle, represented the new participants.

They were joined by Flora Bell, Managing Director of TPF Labs at The Players Fund, which scouts promising ventures internationally and identifies projects that could address Juventus’ needs.

“Collaborating with Juventus gives you credibility,” Bell says. “And it’s like working with 10 different companies toward the same goal.”

So how does Forward work in practice? The program connects the 11 startups directly with Juventus in two areas: sports performance and corporate innovation. The Club provides an environment for ongoing collaboration, allowing the companies to test and validate their technologies.

If the pilot projects prove effective and show promise over the course of the current season, they could lead to commercial partnerships.

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