About
Rome City Institute Pro Soccer Academy offers student-athletes the chance to train like a pro, take part in club competition, and be coached by UEFA licensed coaches. The program includes training with professional, semi professional, and amateur clubs within Rome, official league games, cup competitions, and University League play. Training and competition use 11vs11, 5vs5, and 8vs8 soccer formats, and student-athletes also have access to basketball, training and physio, swimming, and padel, along with training that uses technology on the field and practice and match analyses.
• Schedule: The Pro Academy runs a 9 month-long season with 5 practices per week, within an Italian club season that begins by the end of August and ends in early May, with official league games once a week on Saturday or Sunday and possible weeknight cup games.
The program is part of Rome City Institute, which states that it blends international education with the chance to play competitive sports at a high level and views sports as a pillar of education connected to discipline, resilience, and leadership. Rome City Institute reports an 87% graduation rate and 1,500 enrolled students and describes a community with students from more than 50 countries. The Men’s University Soccer Team won the University League, a tournament among universities in the city of Rome, in the 2021–2022 season. The academy is an official academy of Lega Serie A and offers college and club competition, exposure to Italian clubs, professional facilities, a 9 month-long season, and 5 practices per week, with student-athletes training in the morning with the professional academy and in the afternoon with different local clubs. A club placement team is described as well connected with professional, semi professional, and amateur clubs within Rome, and student-athletes are provided with a professional setting to train while getting exposure to showcase their talent to clubs all year long, supported by specific technology on the field to monitor and record distances, touches, speed, and cardio.
The leadership team includes Mauro Girini as Athletic Director and Head of Football, Marco Montini as Director of Performance, Cristiano Viotti as Director of Goalkeeping, and Stefano Elio Radio as President of Rome City Institute. Staff credentials include Mauro Girini’s experience as Technical Assistant Coach at the first teams of Frosinone and A.C. Perugia under Alessandro Nesta and his current role as U19 Italian Women’s National Team Coach; Marco Montini’s work with the Italian soccer federation and current role as Strength & Conditioning Coach for the U21 Italian National Team and Rome City Institute Professor of Sport Science; and Cristiano Viotti’s role as current Goalkeeper Coach of S.S. Lazio’s First Team, his past work as Head of Goalkeeper Methodology for the Women’s Italian National Team and Goalkeeper Coach of the First Team, and his role as head of goalkeeper coaching methodology for the Rome City Athletic Department. The coaching staff also includes many licensed assistant coaches who currently coach in the youth sectors of clubs such as A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio, and student-athletes are coached by UEFA licensed coaches.
Rome City Institute describes itself as empowering student-athletes from around the world through a transformative experience that blends world-class education with top-tier sports programs. One undergraduate, Gianna Betti, states that being part of Rome City is being part of something bigger than oneself, that she joined in 2022 for a gap year and then chose to do her undergraduate studies there, and that Rome City has given her the chance to pursue her dream of playing in Italy. Another undergraduate, Daniel Karam, states that his dream was to play soccer at the highest level while getting an education and that coming to Rome and being immersed in the culture matched his Italian mother’s wish that he learn the language.
Last updated May 1, 2026.
• Schedule: The Pro Academy runs a 9 month-long season with 5 practices per week, within an Italian club season that begins by the end of August and ends in early May, with official league games once a week on Saturday or Sunday and possible weeknight cup games.
The program is part of Rome City Institute, which states that it blends international education with the chance to play competitive sports at a high level and views sports as a pillar of education connected to discipline, resilience, and leadership. Rome City Institute reports an 87% graduation rate and 1,500 enrolled students and describes a community with students from more than 50 countries. The Men’s University Soccer Team won the University League, a tournament among universities in the city of Rome, in the 2021–2022 season. The academy is an official academy of Lega Serie A and offers college and club competition, exposure to Italian clubs, professional facilities, a 9 month-long season, and 5 practices per week, with student-athletes training in the morning with the professional academy and in the afternoon with different local clubs. A club placement team is described as well connected with professional, semi professional, and amateur clubs within Rome, and student-athletes are provided with a professional setting to train while getting exposure to showcase their talent to clubs all year long, supported by specific technology on the field to monitor and record distances, touches, speed, and cardio.
The leadership team includes Mauro Girini as Athletic Director and Head of Football, Marco Montini as Director of Performance, Cristiano Viotti as Director of Goalkeeping, and Stefano Elio Radio as President of Rome City Institute. Staff credentials include Mauro Girini’s experience as Technical Assistant Coach at the first teams of Frosinone and A.C. Perugia under Alessandro Nesta and his current role as U19 Italian Women’s National Team Coach; Marco Montini’s work with the Italian soccer federation and current role as Strength & Conditioning Coach for the U21 Italian National Team and Rome City Institute Professor of Sport Science; and Cristiano Viotti’s role as current Goalkeeper Coach of S.S. Lazio’s First Team, his past work as Head of Goalkeeper Methodology for the Women’s Italian National Team and Goalkeeper Coach of the First Team, and his role as head of goalkeeper coaching methodology for the Rome City Athletic Department. The coaching staff also includes many licensed assistant coaches who currently coach in the youth sectors of clubs such as A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio, and student-athletes are coached by UEFA licensed coaches.
Rome City Institute describes itself as empowering student-athletes from around the world through a transformative experience that blends world-class education with top-tier sports programs. One undergraduate, Gianna Betti, states that being part of Rome City is being part of something bigger than oneself, that she joined in 2022 for a gap year and then chose to do her undergraduate studies there, and that Rome City has given her the chance to pursue her dream of playing in Italy. Another undergraduate, Daniel Karam, states that his dream was to play soccer at the highest level while getting an education and that coming to Rome and being immersed in the culture matched his Italian mother’s wish that he learn the language.
Last updated May 1, 2026.
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