Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

Dublin, Ireland; Naples, Italy; and Toronto, Canada, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brera Holdings PLC (“Brera Holdings” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BREA), an Ireland-based international holding company focused on expanding its global portfolio of men’s and women’s sports clubs through a multi-club ownership (“MCO”) strategy, commented on its advisory agreement with the owner of Canada’s premier soccer scholarship program, Toronto Blizzard Corp., designed to tap into the $69 billion youth sports market as reported by Profluence.com.

The initiative intends to leverage the Blizzard Development Academy and Brera’s network of pro football clubs and youth academies across three continents, targeting the $37 billion sports tourism market as also reported by Profluence.com. Brera looks forward to going beyond Blizzard’s preeminence in girls soccer to also provide a clear pathway for boys and eventually girls to rapidly progress into the professional ranks.

The partnership aims to provide young soccer players aged 3 to 7 (Little Blizzard Kickers) and 8 to 18 the opportunity to learn and develop as players from exposure to talent at Brera’s clubs, including “the Second Team of Naples,” SS Juve Stabia in Italy’s Serie B; North Macedonian first-division men’s team Fudbalski Klub Akademija Pandev, now known as Brera Strumica FC; its related women’s football club Tiverija Strumica, now known as Brera Tiverija FC, and other clubs in the Brera network from Mongolia and Mozambique.

This goal will be achieved through sharing Brera clubs’ coaching methodologies with the Blizzard programs and together creating pathways for young players, modeled after Blizzard’s 2022 initiative developed with the record-breaking Bundesliga (Germany) champions FC Bayern Munich.

Toronto Blizzard Corp. President and Owner, and Soccer Hall of Famer Giuseppe “Joe” Parolini commented, “Brera Holdings is the perfect partner to help bring new coaching philosophies to talented youth in Ontario. When I took over the ownership of the Blizzard in 1999, ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls to play and receive the same quality of training and development was very important to me. Through this partnership I believe we can identify talent, develop and create pathways to other opportunities such as Juve Stabia in Naples where I was born, Brera Strumica and Tiverjia in North Macedonia, the World Squad, and more.” 

Talent identification camps in metro Toronto, and European on-site experiences planned to bring Blizzard players to Brera’s club academies are intended to begin in the summer of 2026 or sooner.  Toronto Blizzard will promote and coordinate the camps and European academies, which will be delivered by Brera clubs’ coaches and players in collaboration with Blizzard technical staff.  Friendly matches between Brera clubs and Canadian professional teams are also in the planning stages for 2026 and beyond, subject to financial sustainability.

According to Profluence.com some 88% of women’s college soccer athletes have played first at the youth club level, with 77% of men coming from the same feeder system.  With private college tuition and fees rising from $11,000 in 1981 to $33,000 in 2021, as public college costs went from $2,500 to $9,500 in the same period, the value of an athletic scholarship has never been greater.

“We’ve seen the incredible soccer talent coming from Canada, as well as at the NCAA programs of U.S. universities where Blizzard alumni have distinguished themselves,” commented Brera Holdings Executive Chairman Daniel J. McClory.  “Our partnership with Toronto Blizzard will allow us to share our clubs’ coaching philosophies as well as identify and help develop young talent in Toronto. We look forward to introducing this partnership to the Province of Ontario with the Blizzard, and bringing players to train at the academies of our clubs in Italy and North Macedonia, as these countries enjoy longstanding and particularly strong cross-cultural ties with the Toronto metro area,” he added.

ABOUT TORONTO BLIZZARD CORP. AND BLIZZARD DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY CORP.

Toronto Blizzard Corp. is a premier youth soccer organization under the continuous ownership, coaching and management of Soccer Hall of Famer Giuseppe “Joe” Parolini since 1999. Along with its affiliated entity Blizzard Development Academy Corp. (collectively “Toronto Blizzard”), they serve girls and boys playing soccer from age 8 to 18. Focused initially on ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls to play and receive the same quality of training and development available to boys, Blizzard is now going beyond its historical preeminence in girls soccer to also provide a clear pathway for boys to rapidly progress into the professional ranks. Noted for its competitive youth teams, talent identification clinics, and alumni match tours featuring college players developed by Blizzard competing against NCAA squads, among other innovations pioneered by Joe Parolini and his staff. Blizzard in 2022 developed a youth initiative with the record-breaking Bundesliga (Germany) champions FC Bayern Munich. In 2025 Joe Parolini was named an advisor to Nasdaq-listed Brera Holdings PLC, the first multi-club owner of soccer teams to IPO on a stock exchange. He is developing a strategic Brera-Blizzard plan to establish a comprehensive grassroots program for boys and girls in North America and beyond. The initiative intends to leverage the Blizzard Development Academy and Brera’s network of pro football clubs and youth academies across three continents.

ABOUT BRERA HOLDINGS PLC

Brera Holdings PLC(Nasdaq: BREA) is dedicated to expanding its social impact football business by developing a global portfolio of emerging football and sports clubs. Building on the legacy of Brera FC, which it acquired in 2022, the Company aims to create opportunities for tournament prizes, sponsorships, and professional consulting services. Brera FC, recognized as “The Third Team of Milan,” has been crafting an alternative football legacy since its founding in 2000. The club also organizes the FENIX Trophy, a nonprofessional pan-European tournament acknowledged by UEFA. This tournament, which has been referred to as “the Champions League for Amateurs” by BBC Sport, has garnered significant media coverage, including from ESPN.

In its efforts to broaden its reach, Brera expanded into Africa in March 2023 by establishing Brera Tchumene FC in Mozambique, which quickly rose to the First Division after winning its post-season tournament. In April 2023, the Company acquired a 90% stake in the North Macedonian first-division team Fudbalski Klub Akademija Pandev, now known as Brera Strumica FC. Additionally, in June 2023, Brera made a strategic investment in Manchester United PLC, realizing a 74% gain. The Company has further diversified its portfolio by acquiring a majority stake in UYBA Volley, an Italian women’s professional volleyball team, in July 2023, assuming control of Bayanzurkh Sporting Ilch FC, a Mongolian National Premier League team, which became Brera Ilch FC, in September 2023, and establishing a joint stock company for the North Macedonian women’s football club Tiverija Strumica, now known as Brera Tiverija FC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brera Strumica FC, in June 2024.

On December 31, 2024, Brera executed an agreement to acquire majority stake of the corporate capital of Juve Stabia srl, the company which manages the Italian Serie B football club Juve Stabia, also known as “The Second Team of Naples”. The acquisition will be conducted in a multi-step process and marks a significant expansion of the Company’s MCO model. As of February 12, 2025, Brera holds a 38.46% equity ownership interest in Juve Stabia.  With a strategic emphasis on bottom-up value creation, innovation-driven growth, and socially impactful outcomes, Brera Holdings has established itself as a forward-thinking leader in the global sports industry. For more information, visit www.breraholdings.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company’s ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, the popularity and/or competitive success of the Company’s acquired football and other sports teams, the Company’s ability to attract players and staff for acquired clubs, unsuccessful acquisitions or other strategic transactions, the possibility of a decline in the popularity of football or other sports, the Company’s ability to expand its fanbase, sponsors and commercial partners, general economic conditions, and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update such forward-looking statements except in accordance with applicable law.

Company Contact Information:

Dan McClory, Executive Chairman, Brera Holdings PLC
Email: dan@breraholdings.com 

Joe Parolini, President, Toronto Blizzard Corp.
Email: joeparolini@torontoblizzard.com 

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• Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

{KXLG – Milbank, SD} Milbank native Bennett Schwenn, the son of Rick and Miriam Schwenn and a junior at the University of South Dakota, has been named to the Academic All-Summit League team for the second time in his collegiate career. The conference office announced the honors Tuesday afternoon, recognizing student-athletes for their combined academic and athletic achievements.

Schwenn, who is pursuing a degree in Pre-Business, maintains an impressive 4.0 cumulative grade point average. His athletic contributions to the Coyote men’s track and field team include a fourth-place finish in the long jump and a sixth-place finish in the triple jump at the recent Summit League Championships.

In addition to his latest academic recognition, Schwenn’s career honors include being a Summit League Champion in the indoor long jump in 2024, earning All-Summit League honors in both indoor long jump and triple jump in 2023, and outdoor long jump in 2024. He has also been named to the Summit League Honor Roll for the 2022-2023 academic year.

A three-time state champion for Milbank High School, he swept the triple and long jumps at the 2021 South Dakota Class A State Track and Field Championships as a junior, in addition to winning the triple jump crown as a freshman in 2019, garnering five state medals heading into his senior season. He was the 2021 South Dakota Class A Field Event MVP and led the Bulldogs to a runner-up team finish. Schwenn owns personal bests of 46-3 ½ in the triple jump and 22-7 ¾ in the long jump, and he is a member of the National Honor Society. He also played both football and basketball for the Bulldogs.

To qualify for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, have completed at least one academic year at their institution, and have participated in a minimum of 50% of their team’s competitions. Selections are made through voting by the sports information directors and faculty athletic representatives of the conference’s institutions.

Other University of South Dakota Academic All-Summit League Honorees:

• Sara Reifenrath (Hartington, Neb.): A Computer Science major with a 3.98 GPA, Reifenrath earned her third outdoor all-Academic honor and sixth career all-Academic team recognition. She claimed three Summit League titles this season in the 200- and 400-meters and as anchor of the 4×400 relay, also earning all-Summit League honors in the 4×100 relay. She advanced to the NCAA West Prelims in the 200 and 400, setting a school record in the 400 with a time of 51.91 to advance to the NCAA Championships.
• Averi Schmeichel (Hartford, S.D.): A senior Pre-Nursing student with a 3.91 GPA, Schmeichel received her third outdoor all-Academic honor and fourth overall. She swept the hurdle races at the Summit League Championships and ran on the winning 4×400 relay and all-Summit League 4×100 relay. Schmeichel competed at the NCAA West First Round in both the 100 and 400 hurdles, placing 13th in the 400 hurdles.
• Cassidy Mooneyhan (Pea Ridge, Ark.): A senior Psychology major with a 4.0 GPA, Mooneyhan earned her second outdoor all-Academic team honor and fourth overall. She earned all-Summit League honors by placing third in the pole vault and competed in the NCAA West First Round pole vault competition.
• Spencer Buley (McKinney, Texas): Buley, a Sport Marketing & Media major, holds a 4.0 GPA and received his second outdoor all-Academic honor. He was the Summit League runner-up in the pole vault and placed 14th at the NCAA West.

BUTTE — The past three years have seen Butte Central product Dougie Peoples enjoy some huge achievements on the basketball court.

He hit an unforgettable walk-off 3-pointer to ice the 2022 Class A state championship and was soon after tabbed the Montana Gatorade player of the year.

The 2023 graduate then opted to join the College of Idaho’s men’s basketball team and, after coming up short in the 2024 national semifinals, the Yotes rolled through Oklahoma Wesleyan University 93-64 in the championship last March with sophomore Peoples knocking down five 3-pointers in the rout.

It was C of I’s second national title in three years.

“It was really cool to go down there and achieve that,” said Peoples, who was in Butte on Wednesday running his Little Dribblers youth basketball camp. “The past few years have been great. I’ve had some really high highs, so that’s been fun.”

Watch the video and hear from Dougie Peoples here:

Butte Central grad Dougie Peoples reflects on winning national title with College of Idaho

He conceded that it was a tough decision to depart his hometown and that his freshman year was a big adjustment. But he believed in the vision of Yotes head coach Colby Blaine — who played for Steve Keller at Montana Western — and wanted to join a program where the expectation was to win national titles.

“Leaving Butte was so hard because everyone has been so good to me,” said Peoples. “The Butte community is amazing.”

But he wanted to chase a national title and joined the defending national champions with the goal of helping them earn another.

“Going to C of I, that’s kind of what the plan was, that’s kind of why I made the choice to go there,” he said. “And that’s what me and coach Blaine talked about, was winning a national championship.”

He also got to win the national title as one of four Montanans on the Yotes’ roster — Missoula Sentinel’s Alex Germer, Scobey’s Caden Handran and Great Falls’ Drew Wyman are the others.

“A lot of times I’d get homesick and they understood the Montana dynamic,” said Peoples. “I was really lucky to have them and it was just cool to do it with the Montana guys.”

A lot of people invested in Peoples, and he’s returning the favor this summer as he runs his kids camp — which has about 80 participants spread across multiple sessions — for the third straight year.

“I hope that these kids are excited to come up here and have fun,” he said. “I’ve never seen as much passion as these kids have.”

Chelsea have completed the signing of German youth international forward Mara Alber on a four-year deal.

WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Blues this afternoon.

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Alber will officially join Chelsea when she becomes a free agent on 1 July 2025.

The 19-year-old has spent her entire senior career to date with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. She initially turned out for the club’s B Team before going on to impress in the first team. The player can operate in any position across the front-line.

On the international stage, Alber has represented Germany up to and including Under-20 level.

After completing her move to Chelsea, Alber said “I feel proud to have signed for Chelsea. It is a special moment for me because it is such a big club and I am really happy to have this opportunity. I am a player who has worked really hard up until this point and I am someone who always gives 100 percent every day in training and in every match I play – I just love football so much.”

Alber is Chelsea’s second signing of the summer transfer window. The Blues have also signed Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng on a free transfer.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) – The last Northeast Indiana baseball team to win an IHSAA state title was the 2013 Norwell Knights.

Josh VanMeter was a member of the state championship squad, before going on to get drafted into pro baseball, play briefly for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, then compete in 300 Major League Baseball games.

VanMeter is now retired for pro baseball and is living in Northeast Indiana.

The former big leaguer is teaming up with Parkview Sports Medicine and the Fort Wayne TinCaps organization to launch a set of new premier youth teams in the region.

VanMeter, PSM and the TinCaps announced the formation of the PSM TinCaps in a Wednesday afternoon press conference at Parkview Field.

Organizers hope to recruit some of the top baseball players across Northeast Indiana to compete against other top teams in summer tournaments.

“There’s a lot of good talent here, a lot of good resources. Just for a high school team to not win a state championship, honestly, it just blows my mind. There’s too many good players in and around the city,” VanMeter said.

“Just from my time being an amateur and being around the players that I played with from all the different schools, I just really think that this market needs maybe a newer, fresher face. I think that, humbly, I think I check all those boxes of coming back and trying to start a program.”

The PSM TinCaps teams would have a primary focus on player development, helping young athletes reach the peak high school, college and professional levels.

VanMeter plans to coach the oldest age group while also working in an oversight role as the PSM Baseball Academy Director.

“I got a lot of experience from my time playing. I filled just about every role when it comes to being a player all the way to the highest level of the game. On top of that, being able to partner with PSM and really provide that one-stop-shop for baseball development, that has really taken off to another gear even since I was that age,” VanMeter said.

“So I think marrying the minds and being able to do that is going to set us apart. I’m excited for the opportunity and ready to capitalize on it.”

The teams will start competing beginning in 2026, though the first tryouts will take place later in the summer of 2025.

Ages 10-12U tryouts will be July 15, with the 13-17U tryouts slated for July 22.

Both sets of tryouts will start at 5:00 pm at the University of Saint Francis Baseball and Softball Fields.

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