September 3 – As part of an educational drive, the Romanian FA (FRF) has launched a publishing house with its debut publication being a comic strip.
The FRF has stepped into the world of publishing with the launch of Editura FRF, a new imprint dedicated to books at the intersection of sport, culture and education. In partnership with leading bookseller Cărturești, the publisher released a debut comic Generația de Suflet that recounts Romania’s road to Euro 2024 and the team’s campaign in Germany.
FRF President Răzvan Burleanu described the foundation of Editura FRF as a long-term project aimed at “building an educational and cultural ecosystem around football”. Beyond comics, the publishing house intends to produce children’s stories, biographies, motivational works and professional sports titles, widening the reach of football’s values beyond the pitch. The publisher previously launched illustrated school notebooks featuring Romanian national team players.
Burleanu added: “We believe that reading and football can go together, contributing to the development of a more educated, stronger generation, capable of innovation.”
“Reading and sports are essential in the formation of children and young people. It is important for them to find models and contexts that motivate them, help them develop and understand the world, up close, through their own experiences, this has always concerned us at Cărturești. Football and reading can make a very good team: they are spaces where you can find refuge, where you can train your imagination, where you can test your limits and make friends,” said Nicoleta Iordan, co-founder of Cărturești.
Romania has a high degree of literacy, but there is a growing concern about literacy among school-aged children. In 2022, a report indicated that only 11% of students aged 6-14 were fluent readers, with a large percentage showing only basic or non-functional skills.
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