Hailai Arghandiwal signs with Florentia!

Our student-athlete Hailai Arghandiwal signs with the professional team Florentia and will compete in the Italian Serie A!

Hailai arrived in Italy last August to attend our master program in Sports Management & Soccer Coaching. Since day 1, she has been training with Florentia, one of the strongest team in the Italian First Division which is currently competing for the fourth spot on the table.

A perfect blend of explosiveness and technical skills which, together with her ductility, make Hailai a great addition to the team led by Coach Carobbi. In the past years, Hailai has been a key player for Santa Clara University where she graduated from last year with a major in marketing. Now, a new chapter of her life in Florence thanks to Soccer Management Institute.

While getting a higher education, Hailai has the opportunity to realize her dream to play professional in Italy. “I am very proud to have signed with Florentia and to be the first Afghan-American player ever playing in the Italian Serie A” says Hailai. “I am here to improve as a player and as a human being. I would like to be an example for the kids of my community by showing them that through hard work, education, and commitment anything can be achieved regardless the color of your skin or the country of origin. I would like to be the voice of all those women who live in countries where the female gender is still victim of abuses. I want to thank Soccer Management Institute and Florentia for this amazing experience and all the people who supported me throughout my career. I can’t wait to start this new chapter of my life and finally play in Serie A with this jersey!”

“We are very satisfied with the signing of Arghandiwal” says Domenico Strati, General Manager of Florentia. “Our club is always looking for new talents to evaluate and possibly sign to improve our roster and make our team more competitive. We immediately recognized the outstanding athletic skills of Hailai as well as her positive attitude, something that we always value here at Florentia”

SMI Press Office