A delegation of Italian engineers and architects traveled over 5,000 miles to play in China's Village Super League, finding that their shared, unfiltered passion for football transcended borders and turned their first visit to the country into an unforgettable cultural exchange.

GUIYANG, China, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Riccardo De Benedictis pulled on his boots for back-to-back friendlies in the hometown of China's wildly popular Village Super League, describing his first trip to the country as "unforgettable".

The 36-year-old from Rome took to the pitch on Friday evening and again Saturday afternoon, playing alongside his teammates from the Italian Football Team of the Rome Engineers Association against local village sides in Rongjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

What brought them more than 5,000 miles from home was the same raw passion for football that has made the grassroots league a nationwide sensation.

De Benedictis runs a construction company in Rome specializing in the restoration of historic buildings. He has played football since he was 6 and still gets on the pitch at least three times a week.

After university, he joined the engineers' association, which fields 5-a-side, 7-a-side and full 11-a-side teams, and also runs a youth side that has competed in Italy's Promozione league. The group keeps a regular schedule of one friendly match and three training sessions per week. This year, De Benedictis also took on a coaching role for enthusiasts aged 18 to 35.

The delegation -- more than 20 architects, engineers, coaches and auditors -- arrived on Friday eager to test themselves against the village teams and soak up the atmosphere.

De Benedictis had first come across the league online. But stepping onto the pitch, he was instantly struck by the roar of the crowd and the sheer joy radiating from players and fans alike.

"There is a lot of enthusiasm here," he said. "A lot of people come here to watch the match."

Football, he said afterward, has taught him teamwork, leadership, dedication and the simple pleasure of living in the moment. It has also brought him friends across borders -- and now a first trip to China.

The team's coach, Claudio Cappioli, has his own China story. A former AS Roma player, he spent nearly six months in 2019 coaching young players in Beijing. That was followed by close to a year as technical director for a team in northwest China's Qinghai Province, and another three months in Wuhan in central China in 2024. After playing 15 minutes in the opening friendly, he too was left deeply impressed.

"Many village teams participate in these matches," Cappioli said. "It fits perfectly with our philosophy -- a shared, pure love for football."

The atmosphere is what gave rise to the Village Super League in Rongjiang back in May 2023. Its grassroots energy and consistently packed stands quickly turned it into a nationwide phenomenon. By the end of 2025, the league had already attracted more than 1,700 players from over 60 countries and regions, including France, Argentina, Brazil, and Spain.

After the final whistle blew on Saturday, De Benedictis stood on the sideline, still buzzing from the whole experience.

"It's my first time in China, and my first time playing against a foreign team," he said. "Football has become a part of my life. It brings people from around the world to share cultures, while also offering foreigners a unique window into Chinese culture. I am very interested in China and would like to visit more places here."  ■