German youth amputee footballer helps design 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball

German youth amputee footballer helps design 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball

Children’s drawings from ten UEFA Foundation for Children projects will feature in the design of the 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball, including a drawing by two children from Germany.

This season’s UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League winners will play the annual UEFA Super Cup match at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary on 24 September at 21:00 CET with a special match ball featuring a series of children’s drawings integrated into the ball’s design.

The drawing by German youngster Jamie and his sister Zadie will appear on the ball. Jamie was amputated when he was just under a year old. He has been playing football from a very young age. Sport, being active and playing football have always been important to Jamie. Zadie, his younger sister, always accompanies Jamie to his football training, games and, of course, to AMPUKIDS events. Football is an essential part of their lives.

Jamie: “For me, football means seeing my friends, being active and improving myself physically. Football is part of my life. At school break, in the afternoon with my friends on the football pitch, or at training in the club, wherever there is a ball, we play. The smile in the painted drawing represents the fun that football gives me.”

“AMPUKIDS has been an integral part of my life for almost six years. The leisure activities we go to twice a year are like meeting our family again. Everyone is equal there and the disabilities are not the focus. It’s normal for prostheses to be put on and taken off, wheelchairs to be exchanged and for us to help and support each other. That's why I'm happy to be there every time.”

Zadie is very proud of her big brother. He is a great role model to her. “My brother Jamie helps me, he plays with me, takes me to kindergarten and supports me. I like football because I can play with him and he shows me how to shoot properly. What I like about AMPUKIDS is that I can see my friends. We experience great adventures together and play all day.”

The drawings are the work of 18 children with different backgrounds from ten European organisations who work together with the UEFA Foundation for Children and were selected by the chairman of the foundation’s board, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin.

Unique moment

“I’m sure that the children will be thrilled to see their drawings on the Super Cup match ball and to know that stars of our game will be scoring goals with it,” said the UEFA president.

“These young people know the work of the UEFA Foundation and I am proud that they want to be part of one of UEFA’s showpiece events.”

“It was inspiring to see all these excellent drawings and hear the stories of the children. I hope that the joy they feel because their artwork is on the ball for such an important match will motivate them not only to play football but also to follow their dreams.”

Children from across the continent were encouraged to submit drawings showing what football meant to them in a contest organised by the foundation together with its ten partner organisations. Mr Čeferin chose the 18 drawings from a portfolio of more than 200 contributions.

 

Leading up to the UEFA Super Cup match at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão in August, the UEFA Foundation for Children will tell the stories of the 18 children on the Instagram channels uefa_foundation and @UEFA_official.