Pescara football club adopts Italian boy's shirt design Published duration 21 April Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic

image copyright @pescara calcio image caption The club tweeted Luigi's winning design (L) and next season's shirt

A six-year-old boy in Italy is celebrating after his football shirt design was adopted by the professional team Pescara.

Luigi D'Agostino beat other children in a competition, run by the club for young fans, aimed at easing the boredom of being stuck indoors during the country's coronavirus lockdown.

The competition's motto was "give a kick to Covid-19".

The boy's dolphin design will be worn by the Serie B team next season.

The Pescara club - its full name is Pescara Calcio 1936 - played in the top Italian league, Serie A, for seven seasons in its history.

Its mascot is a dolphin - the club plays in an Adriatic resort town famous for its beaches. The club features Luigi's triumph on its website.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Pescara currently sport blue-and-white striped shirts

Italian sports kit supplier Erreà will make the shirts and has invited Luigi to spend a special day at its Parma headquarters, to see the new team strip coming off the production line.

The competition was launched simply as a children's game, using Erreà graphics, but its popularity on social media turned it into a business project, Italian media report.

Millions of people in Italy have been unable to leave their homes - except for essential reasons - since lockdown measures came into force on 9 March.

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