Rome, 20 August 2026 – Every match begins before the ninety minutes are played. Before the opening whistle, before the first touch of the ball. There is a moment that is repeated on every pitch: two captains, one referee, and a choice that sets the challenge in motion.

This is the origin of “Ball or Side”, the official coin of the Serie A Enilive 2026/2027 Season, a €5 coin issued by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and produced by the Italian State Mint (Zecca dello Stato). The coin, featuring the Serie A League pictogram, will be used for the pre-match coin toss in every fixture of Italy’s top football championship and will become part of the Italian Republic’s 2026 Numismatic Collection.

Made of silver, the coin celebrates football and reflects the sport’s universal values: talent and team spirit. The obverse features a football, the ultimate symbol of the game. The design is enriched by a graphic pattern based on the repeated image of a referee’s whistle, recalling the coin toss moment, while the word “talent” appears around the edge in different Italian dialects, highlighting how passion for football is a shared heritage across the country.

The reverse depicts a stadium through an intricate, almost architectural pattern that conveys depth and grandeur. At the centre stands the coloured pictogram of the Serie A League, surrounded by twenty-two dots representing the players of the two teams at kick-off.

Along the edge, the word “team” appears in several Italian dialect expressions, evoking the sense of belonging, identity and shared experience that football creates in every region.

“I would like to thank the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Italian State Mint for choosing to celebrate one of the most iconic moments in our football,” said Luigi De Siervo, Chief Executive Officer of Lega Serie A. “The new official coin, specially minted by the State Mint for the captains’ coin toss before kick-off, will enhance the opening moment of our matches, marking the union of two outstanding Italian excellences. It is an important recognition for our Championship, as the official Serie A coin is an object capable of linking football and Italian numismatic art through the images and words engraved on it, telling the story of our country’s identity and values.”

“The coin toss is one of football’s most recognisable gestures: a moment of anticipation and fair play that precedes every match, from local pitches to major stadiums. Through this partnership, the Italian State Mint places its tradition at the service of Serie A, transforming an ancient ritual into a small masterpiece designed to stand the test of time,” said Michele Sciscioli, Chief Executive Officer of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.

The €5 “Ball or Side” coin, the official coin of the Serie A Enilive 2026/2027 Season, issued by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was modelled by the artists of the State Mint’s Engraving Studio and created in collaboration with Lega Serie A.