News Archive - Page 7 of 15

UEFA and Real Madrid foundations support disadvantaged children across Europe

The UEFA Foundation for Children and Real Madrid Foundation are using sport as an educational tool to support disadvantaged children in Europe

Having access to sport is vital for any youngster. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, sport teaches children important life skills and values, such as teamwork, respect and motivation. However, for different reasons, not all children have the opportunity to train with qualified coaches.

With this in mind, the UEFA Foundation for Children has teamed up with the Real Madrid Foundation to give children the opportunity to engage in sporting, educational and social activities crucial to their development.

Activities involving the two foundations are helping children in Italy, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom, while 14 schools in Madrid are also part of the programme. Funding from the UEFA Foundation for Children will give 600 children greater access to education through sport.

The programme gives the youngsters the opportunity to participate in weekly sessions and tournaments where they are able to interact with other children who are following the same educational curriculum, devised by the Real Madrid Foundation. It also has the added benefit of training coaches, who will pass on the valuable knowledge they have learned from working with the Real Madrid Foundation, thereby allowing even more children to benefit from the initiative.

Football is a powerful tool

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin chairs the board of trustees of the UEFA Foundation for Children and hails the work undertaken since 2015, and how football is proving to be a major force for social good.

“Having had the opportunity to be personally involved in various projects, I have seen that football is an extremely powerful tool,” said the UEFA president.

“Whether it is in refugee camps across the world, the troubled suburbs of European cities or forgotten conflict zones, all the activities supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children have strengthened my desire to see European football assume its role in the social development of young people all over the world.”

“I would also like to pay tribute in this regard to Real Madrid, who, through the Real Madrid Foundation, have been working tirelessly to improve the lives of children so they can dream of a better future.”

We all played football on the street, at least those from my generation. We played with a bag of potatoes, making it more or less into a ball shape with some string. This remains the same: in any shanty town you can play football. The idea was to get closer to these kids (who are the fundamental group of beneficiaries although there are others, such as the ill or recluses) and use football as an educative tool to transmit values.

The footballing world, in general, is generous - as it is generally in the sport’s world. There’s global sensitivity towards those who need it the most. Perhaps it’s because we started earlier, or because we have found the ideal model to show our solidarity, we are particularly useful for the communities where we work. But all the footballing world, each on their own step, stands out for their willingness to help.

- Emilio Butragueño, director of Institutional Relations at Real Madrid CF

Real Madrid - Social sports school in Guimaraes- educative activity

Real Madrid - social sports school in Milano

Project partner

The Real Madrid Foundation is the instrument by which Real Madrid is present in society and develops its social and cultural awareness programmes.

Its main objective is to promote, both in Spain as well as abroad, the values inherent in sport, and the latter’s role as an educational tool capable of contributing to the comprehensive development of the personality of those who practice it. In addition, as a means of social integration of those who find themselves suffering from any form of marginalisation, as well as to promote and disseminate all the cultural aspects linked to sport.

UEFA Foundation for Children promoting education for girls in Mumbai

The UEFA Foundation for Children, in partnership with the Oscar Foundation, is supporting activities to increase the number of children continuing their education in Mumbai

The number of children dropping out of education at the age of 14 is increasing across Mumbai’s slums. Underprivileged children are being sent to work to help meet their families’ needs. Entering the labour market at such a young age and working long days in dangerous conditions is having a disastrous effect on their mental and physical development, while the risks of developing addictions to alcohol and drugs increase.

Two thirds of girls in Mumbai’s education system drop out of school before they reach their 15th birthday. Many are ushered into child marriages, with parents believing this will secure their daughters’ economic security. However, cutting short their education severely limits their future prospects and the cycle of poverty therefore self-perpetuates.

Education through sport

The UEFA Foundation for Children, which celebrates its fifth anniversary on 24 April, has been working alongside the Oscar Foundation – a non-profit organisation based in Mumbai dedicated to empowering children in low-income Indian communities – since 2019.

The project in Mumbai comprises football and education programmes that rely on the power of football to bring about social change. The aim is to use football to engage youngsters in a variety of activities, but also to teach them about key social topics such as teamwork, respect and fair play, thus increasing their resilience, self-esteem and motivation.

During the sessions, issues such as dropping out of school, child marriage, child labour or health and hygiene are discussed. If children identify as being at risk of dropping out of school, they will be invited to attend informal education classes at one of the four education hubs in Mumbai, improving their chances of passing exams and providing a platform for future employment opportunities.

A fantastic initiative

“Having access to good-quality education is one of the most important things in life and has the potential to open up so many new opportunities,” said former Liverpool midfielder Luis García, who spent a year playing in India for Atlético de Kolkata.

García knows the value of education, having graduated from UEFA’s Executive Master for International Players (MIP) programme in 2019 – along with Youri Djorkaeff and Gaizka Mendieta.

“Football is a powerful tool which can be used in order to facilitate change and this is a fantastic initiative by the UEFA Foundation for Children in conjunction with the Oscar Foundation to help those in need in Mumbai, which will hopefully have a long-lasting effect on their future lives.”

Football is a powerful tool

“Having had the opportunity to be personally involved in various projects, I have seen that football is an extremely powerful tool,” said the UEFA president.

Having access to good-quality education is one of the most important things in life and has the potential to open up so many new opportunities. Football is a powerful tool which can be used in order to facilitate change and this is a fantastic initiative by the UEFA Foundation for Children in conjunction with the Oscar Foundation to help those in need in Mumbai, which will hopefully have a long-lasting effect on their future lives.

- Luis García, former Liverpool midfielder who spent a year playing in India for Atlético de Kolkata

Project partner

OSCAR Foundation is a football for development non-profit dedicated to empowering children and youth in low-income communities in India.

OSCAR uses football as a tool to deliver education and life skills sessions enabling children and youth to become role models in their community. Over the last 9 years, more than 12000+ children and youth in India have joined OSCAR’s Football, Education, and Young Leaders’ Programme. OSCAR Foundation is headquartered in Mumbai and has reached out to children in Mumbai, Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand.

UEFA Foundation for Children helping street children in Vietnam

A partnership between the UEFA Foundation for Children and the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, is helping to give street children greater opportunities by using football as a catalyst for change.

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Vietnam are extremely vulnerable to abuse and trafficking. The streets of Hanoi are home to many children from around the country who have made their way to the capital in search of work or to run away from domestic problems, such as violence, drug abuse, extreme poverty and neglect.

On the streets, children are at a high risk of abuse, by being coerced into forced labour of sex trafficking. However, a local organisation is trying to help the most vulnerable sections of society in Vietnam by offering them the chance to turn their lives around and by providing practical solutions to the daily problems that are keeping poverty alive.

Education through sport

Since the start of this year, the UEFA Foundation for Children, which celebrates its fifth anniversary on 24 April, has been embarking on a project with the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, which has been based in Vietnam since 2003, to improve the lives of street children by using sport as a catalyst for change.

By encouraging the children to play football, the aim is not only to foster a healthier lifestyle with access to education, but also to break the cycle which sees them leave home at a young age and enter the job market. The workshops will teach the children important life skills such as how to communicate and teamwork, while they will also be made aware of the dangers of child labour and human trafficking.

This project will provide access to sports and recreational activities for 1,585 highly disadvantaged children in three provinces in Vietnam. They will all have the chance to improve their physical fitness, while also developing life and work skills which will improve their employability, thus providing themselves with a pathway from which to escape a cycle of poverty.

Cycle of poverty

The aim is also to increase awareness amongst the adult population of the dangers that children face. As part of the programme, over 250 community members will be given a great knowledge of children’s rights and how to become more aware of any warning signs.

Every child should have the opportunity to enjoy his or her childhood, without the threat of being trafficked for the illegal and repulsive gains of others. I would like to praise the sterling work being undertaken by the UEFA Foundation for Children and the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in order to try and tackle the route causes of child poverty and save street children from a life of misery.

- Luís Figo

Blue Dragon-Children playing basketball (1)

Blue Dragon-Children playing basketball (2)

Blue Dragon-A child practicing skateboarding

Project partner

The foundation celebrates its fifth anniversary

Five years have passed since the UEFA Foundation for Children was established to help european football fulfil its social responsability to support and defend the rights of children all over the world

Football is more than just a game; it is a vehicle for change and a source of hope and possibilities for all children. It can be used to develop important life skills such as communication, teamwork and respect, and provides opportunities to lead, excel and gain confidence.

The projects supported by the foundation use sport, and football in particular, to help support children in precarious situations and from disadvantaged backgrounds. Activities focus on the areas of health, education, access to sport, integration of minorities, personal development and youth employment.

Almost 250 projects reaching a million children

Some one million children have benefitted from the broad range of activities organised or funded by the foundation since it was created in April 2015. Through calls for project and awards, the foundation has provided grants to a total of 245 projects. Half of all funding has been dedicated to projects within Europe.

Helping more children play the beautiful game

A common need identified by the foundation is for safe infrastructure and equipment. The foundation has therefore supported the construction of many football pitches and distributed over 35,000 balls and football kits to schools, children’s institutions and associations. Over 34 tonnes of material from UEFA competitions have been donated to children’s programmes.

Promoting diversity and multiculturalism

The foundation has been able to support projects in 100 countries. Of the one million children who have already benefitted, at least 35% are girls, and the foundation is working to increase this proportion. Football is a powerful means of promoting gender equality and inclusion more broadly, by increasing the participation of minorities in programmes and in society, thereby helping more people to become active citizens.

Making dreams come true

National associations and clubs have helped the foundation bring hope to children and give them reasons to dream. Almost 24,000 children who would otherwise never have had the chance to attend an international football match have been invited to a UEFA competition.

The UEFA Super Cup has been as great stage on which to create awareness of the positive impact football can have. With the help of the participating clubs and their elite players, the foundation has used this stage to demonstrate, once again, that football can play an important role in children’s lives and can change the opportunities of even the most vulnerable.

New challenges

As the world grapples with COVID-19, the resultant health crisis and its social and economic consequences, the foundation continues to do what it can to help the most vulnerable communities and organise responses that are adapted to the needs of each situation. The foundation was the first institutional supporter of the Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund, set up to support community organisations in their immediate emergency response and longer-term recovery work.

Grateful thanks

The milestone of our fifth birthday is an opportunity for the foundation to thank to the entire football community for the trust that has been shown in us and our work . Special thanks also to our partner NGOs and community organisations for their hard work, day in, day out, implementing our activities and their dedication to protecting children and their universal rights, which is, after all, the purpose of the UEFA foundation.

- Urs Kluser, General Secretary of the UEFA Foundation for children

UEFA Foundation for Children provides Mexican youngsters with sports and educational activities

In partnership with the Fundación del Empresariado Chihuahuense, the UEFA Foundation for Children has been offering Mexican children in the state of Chihuahua access to afterschool activities in order to improve their physical and social well-being.

Poverty and poor diet are intrinsically linked, unfortunately. In the Mexican state of Chihuahua, a significant percentage of 5 to 14 year-olds are in need of greater access to education.

According to statistics produced by CONEVAL, the national social development board, half of children and teenagers have not engaged in any physical activity during the past 12 months. Meanwhile, almost a third of the state’s population are illiterate and do not finish elementary or secondary school.

Important life skills

Since the start of 2020, the UEFA Foundation for Children, which celebrates its fifth anniversary on 24 April, has been working with the Fundación del Empresariado Chihuahuense (FECHAC) to provide basic education and sports activities for local youngsters.

The teaching of sport has a dual purpose. It helps the participants to get fit, while it also teaches them valuable life skills such as teamwork and perseverance. Just as importantly, sport helps to teach youngsters discipline and the need to obey rules.

The overall aim is to give the participants a different outlook on life and increase their self-confidence, thus hopefully leading to a decrease in the number of children using drugs or being involved with gangs. The FECHAC programme is currently being run in 88 schools across Chihuahua, and it is hoped to expand this to 100 schools within the next two years.

Link to the project.

Football is a powerful tool

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin chairs the foundation’s board of trustees and hails the work undertaken since 2015, and how football is proving to be a major force for social good.

“Having had the opportunity to be personally involved in various projects, I have seen that football is an extremely powerful tool,” said the UEFA president.

Sport and education are vital for the physical and intellectual development of any child. This is a great initiative by the UEFA Foundation for Children in conjunction with the Fundación del Empresariado Chihuahuense which is giving children the chance to develop new skills that will hopefully enable them to choose their own paths in life.”

- said former Mexico captain Gerardo Torrado.

Project partner

UEFA Foundation for Children supporting street children in Senegal

In partnership with UNIS VERS le SPORt, the UEFA Foundation for Children is involved in a project to give street children in Senegal access to education through sport.

Talibé is the name given to a child living on the streets in Senegal. Children find themselves on the streets for various reasons: many are orphans, from poor families or marginalised because of an impairment.

Left to take care of themselves, their main objectives are often simply to find enough to eat and a roof to sleep under. Violence or substance abuse are seen as a way out of this desperate situation.

Life can also be tough for children living at home with their family. With financial resources scarce, one out of every two children does not attend school but carries out household chores or gruelling work in the fields from a very young age.

Education through sport

Since 2018, the UEFA Foundation for Children, which celebrates its fifth anniversary on 24 April, has been working alongside Unis Vers le Sport (UVS), a French-based organisation that implements education and integration programmes through sport to help improve the lives of children living in Senegal.

UVS has set up an educational centre in the city of Saint-Louis where 100 street children can sleep and where sports activities are organised for them and 5,000 local schoolchildren.

Aside from having classrooms and providing the street children with a proper education, the centre also has an indoor sports court and a football pitch. The sports activities are used to promote prevention campaigns relating to local health issues, while also raising public awareness of children’s rights.

The originality ot the project is that the centre will be totally self-financed by agricultural activities (farming and market gardening).

Football is a powerful tool

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin chairs the foundation’s board of trustees and hails the work undertaken since 2015, and how football is proving to be a major force for social good.

“Having had the opportunity to be personally involved in various projects, I have seen that football is an extremely powerful tool,” said the UEFA president.

This is a fantastic initiative by the UEFA Foundation for Children in conjunction with Unis Vers le Sport which is providing valuable assistance to children who need a helping hand in life. Having access to good education is vital. It gives children the chance to develop their creativity and imagination, while laying down a path to a future career. I am an example that one is never too old to learn, and following the end of my career, I decided to resume my studies in order to provide myself with the key skills needed for the next steps in my life.

- Khalilou Fadiga, former Senegal international

Project partner

UEFA Foundation for Children supporting projects in four sub-Saharan African countries

The UEFA Foundation for Children, in collaboration with Inter Campus, is supporting projects in Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to give children greater access to education through football

Children in four sub-Saharan countries are benefiting from the partnership between the UEFA Foundation for Children and Inter Futura, an organisation that falls under the umbrella of FC Internazionale Milano.

Inter Futura helps to run Inter Campus – a social project that helps thousands of children in need around the world every year. Inter Campus and the UEFA Foundation for Children have previously collaborated on two projects in Israel and Palestine, as well as in Venezuela.

The Inter Campus Black ’n Blue project is taking place in Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The aim is to improve children’s education by using football as the catalyst. In order to break down barriers between different communities, local representatives have the opportunity to meet and share their personal experiences.

Four countries

Although there are a number of issues that need to be addressed in each of the countries, with these main topics having been prioritised for each:

Angola: health improvement and crime prevention, using football as a preventive and developmental tool for at-risk children.
Cameroon: improvement of ethnic integration, especially in rural areas, using football as an educational tool for peace in a country where sport is considered almost a religion by many.
Democratic Republic of Congo: targeting street children in rural areas and giving them assistance as early as possible.
Uganda: improvement of gender equality to help to reduce poverty among women, using football as a catalyst to involve more children in education.

Supporting education through football

The UEFA Foundation for Children has teamed up with Inter Campus to try to improve the everyday lives of socially deprived children.

The issues faced can range from poor sanitary conditions to a lack of food, which affects the children’s physical development. Working on and off the pitch with a strong network of partners, Inter Campus hopes to alleviate these difficult conditions and create a virtuous circle from which future generations can benefit.

Inter Campus aims to support education through football and sport, as well as improving gender equality by encouraging the participation of girls. The activities are being delivered through 16 one-week clinics and monitoring visits (four per country). Specialised programmes are also being created based on local partners’ knowledge and Inter Campus’ experience.

The aim is to involve 1,500 children a year across the four countries. A delegation of local coaches will also be given special training to pass on the expertise they have gained to their local colleagues and thus benefit thousands of children across the four countries in years to come.

Football is a powerful tool

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin chairs the foundation’s board of trustees and hails the work undertaken since 2015, and how football is proving to be a major force for social good.

“Having had the opportunity to be personally involved in various projects, I have seen that football is an extremely powerful tool,” said the UEFA president.

“I would also like to pay tribute in this regard to FC Internazionale Milano, who, through Inter Campus, have been working tirelessly to improve the lives of children so they have the chance to dream of a better future.”

One million children

In the five years since the UEFA Foundation for Children was set up, around one million children have benefitted from its broad palette of activities worldwide, while it has provided support for projects in 100 countries on all five continents. Through sport, and football in particular, the foundation is helping to give hope to children from difficult backgrounds to help them achieve their goals in life.

I am delighted the fruitful partnership between Inter Campus and the UEFA Foundation for Children will be continuing for another two years.

This is the third project we will work on together, after projects in Israel and Palestine, and in Venezuela, and as always, both our organisations share the same goal – to help and improve the lives of as many children across the globe as possible.

- Javier Zanetti, vice-president of FC Internazionale Milano and former player for the club for almost two decades

©Contigo Media for Inter Campus

Angola

©Contigo Media for Inter Campus

Cameroon

©Contigo Media for Inter Campus

Democratic Republic of Congo

©Contigo Media for Inter Campus

Uganda

Project partner

UEFA Foundation for Children supports Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund

Time for global action, solidarity and collaboration

Less than 24 hours after the creation of the Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund, the UEFA Foundation for Children decided to support the initiative, making it the fund’s first institutional supporter. It is hoped this investment will send out a clear message of solidarity within the global football community and help Common Goal make a positive impact through its existing network of football charities working with young people in over 100 communities severely affected by the new coronavirus.

The UEFA Foundation for Children provides financial support and services to organisations worldwide that place children rights at the heart of their projects. By supporting the Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund, the aim is to help to tackle the immediate effects of the pandemic on children and young people and ensure that support continues beyond the initial emergency response, with a focus on deprived communities and conflict settings.

ENGLISH - SERGE GNABRY - VIDEO COMMON GOAL COVID19 RESPONSE

In addition to its COVID-19 Response Fund, Common Goal has also announced the Live Match platform, in which players commit the 90 minutes they are no longer spending on the pitch to create positive outcomes at this challenging time. Manchester United player Juan Mata, the first player to join Common Goal back in 2017, will kick off the first Live Match this evening, Thursday 9 April, at 19:00 CET.

Mata will use his Instagram platform to connect with fans. The Bayern Munich and German international player Serge Gnabry, as well as a football-based community organisation that he is supporting through Common Goal will join. This is a really positive step for the Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund.

“Welcome to the team, UEFA Foundation for Children,” Mata said. “To overcome the coronavirus, and the other challenges facing humanity, we need to coordinate individual efforts and work together as a team. I'm urging not only my Common Goal team-mates, but all other players and football leaders around the world to unite and help tackle this crisis, and at the same time use this as a catalyst to play a key role in tackling the other challenges humanity faces. Together we can beat this.”

Common Goal CEO Jurgen Griesbeck said: “In the midst of this crisis, football has the chance to realise its full potential in playing a leading role in shaping the world. Together, with everyone who loves football in support, the sport has a real opportunity to have a positive impact. We are delighted to have the trust and support of the UEFA Foundation for Children.”

How to support the Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund

Donations can be made here.

Players who want to join the Common Goal team and pledge to support Common Goal at this critical time can do so at here.

In addition to making donations and joining the Common Goal team, individuals and organisations from the world of football and beyond are encouraged to follow the Common Goal Live Matches, starting with Juan Mata tonight.

In these difficult times, which affect many countries and the most fragile populations especially, it is important to coordinate and organise responses that are adapted to the needs of each situation. It is for this reason that the foundation board decided to join this initiative and allow football to play a role of social responsibility.

- Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president and chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees

About Common Goal

Common Goal currently has almost 150 members who pledge a minimum of 1% of their earnings from football to a global network of high-impact charities that empower disadvantaged young people, primarily through football. Members include players such as Giorgio Chiellini, Alex Morgan, Kasper Schmeichel, Eniola Aluko, Shinji Kagawa, Mats Hummels and Megan Rapinoe, managers such as Jürgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann, and football industry leaders such as the UEFA President, Aleksander Čeferin. The movement supports the streetfootballworld network of 135 football-based community organisations uniquely positioned to deliver essential support and services in direct response to the coronavirus pandemic in more than 200 communities across 90 countries, benefitting over 2 million young people.

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.

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.

- Jamie

The UEFA Europa League Trophy Tour 2020 driven by Kia to Zaatari refugee camp

The Europa League Trophy Tour 2020 driven by Kia to Zaatari refugee camp

Kia Motors and UEFA Foundation for Children renew their support for refugee children in the Zaatari camp for the second season

The UEFA Europa League trophy tour, driven by Kia, is taking one of UEFA’s most prestigious trophies on the road again, visiting local schools, grassroots clubs and pop-up locations in city centres in six new European countries from February to May. Fans will have the opportunity to see the iconic UEFA Europa League trophy up close and meet with footballing legends. For the duration of the tour, fans of all ages will also be encouraged to donate unwanted football boots, which will be taken to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the final stop on the tour.

The boots will be distributed to children and youngsters participating in the football programmes set up in the camp, to inspire them and enable them to play in better conditions. Furthermore, having the opportunity to see the legendary trophy coveted by the biggest teams in Europe will be an unforgettable experience for many of the camp’s residents.

“My football boots were my gateway to freedom. These opportunities and freedoms, which I often had to fight hard for yet were possible in our society, are what I want to pass on to girls,” said Tugba Tekkal, a young refugee who grew up in Germany.

The UEFA Europa League trophy tour stops in six new European cities, giving fans the opportunity to get close to the trophy and ambassadors:

7/8 February Frankfurt, Germany

21 February Barcelona, Spain

13/14 March Rome, Italy

27/28 March Amsterdam, Netherlands

1/2 May Manchester, UK

15/16 May Warsaw, Poland

25/26 July Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan

A stellar list of former players has signed up to take part: Michael Owen will be the global ambassador of the campaign, and each stop welcomes a local ambassador on board, such as Thomas Berthold in Frankfurt, Eric Abidal in Barcelona and Jerzy Dudek in Warsaw. Other legends will be announced nearer the time.

“UEFA is delighted to have Kia renew its support of the Europa League trophy tour for a second season,” said UEFA’s director of marketing, Guy-Laurent Epstein. “Both organisations have a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility, and we are extremely proud of this partnership that will bring the tour, trophy and ambassadors to seven countries. Our hope is that the UEFA Europa League trophy tour, driven by Kia will inspire a new generation to lift the iconic trophy, and that the football boots donated during the tour provide refugee children in Zaatari camp with the resources they need to enjoy playing the game and develop their love of football.”

"We are extremely excited to bring back the UEFA Europa League trophy tour, driven by Kia for a second year,” said Artur Martins, Vice President Global Brand & Marketing at Kia Motors Corporation.

“This news is testament to the huge success and popularity of the first year of the campaign. Last year, the tour gave football fans of all ages the chance to see the trophy up close and to donate their football boots to a very deserving cause – which proved to be an overwhelming success. This year, we hope to receive even more donations and continue to support the young refugees in playing a sport that they love.”

Boot donations

Boot donations can be made at each stop of the tour, as well as at selected Kia dealerships in certain markets.

Last season, Kia collected an incredible 1,052 pairs of boots. However, there are still around 2,000 children without football boots at Zaatari refugee camp
This year, Kia aims to double the number of boots donated to Zaatari refugee camp to meet this demand
Every fan who donates a pair of boots will be in with a chance of winning an all-expenses-paid trip to the UEFA Europa League final, including flights, accommodation and organised activities.

My football boots were my gateway to freedom. These opportunities and freedoms, which I often had to fight hard for yet were possible in our society, are what I want to pass on to girls.

- Tugba Tekkal, a young refugee who grew up in Germany

REFUGEES ESPORTS CUP: THE FIRST ESPORTS TOURNAMENT IN REFUGEE CAMPS

Refugees eSports Cup: the first eSports tournament in refugee camps

From 26 January to 1 February, Libraries Without Borders and the UEFA Foundation for Children will hold the first eSport tournament in the Syrian refugee camp of Zaatari in Jordan. This action is supported by Facebook, PlayStation and ArmaTeam.

A refugee spends on average 18 years of her or his life in a camp. Eighteen years without being able to catch up on the news, read or learn well. For that reason, Libraries Without Borders and the UEFA Foundation for Children are working tirelessly so that the women, men and children from the camp of Zaatari can connect with the world again, overcome boredom, find the assets to foster their resilience and think about their future. By promoting access to sport, education, information and culture, we are committed to giving everyone the capacity to be autonomous, free and to achieve fulfilment.

The camp is located east of Mafraq and has today 60 000 Syrians who fled from the civil war. Libraries Without Borders set up an Ideas Box there three years ago - a mobile media library, in kit form, designed by Philippe Starck. The UEFA Foundation for Children, meanwhile, has been offering for the past five years various sport activities through its house of sport, football pitches and coach education.

For the first time, Libraries Without Borders and the UEFA Foundation for Children will organize the “Refugees eSports Cup” tournament with the support of Facebook, PlayStation and ArmaTeam in the camp of Zaatari. From 26 January to 1 February, this event will gather 200 teenagers from 10 to 18 - including people with disabilities - who have been training since December ; the final will be held on 31 January and February 1. At the core of this project : social cohesion and entertainment.

VIDEO GAMES, VECTOR OF SOCIAL COHESION
In libraries and museums, video games have also their place. Way ahead of literature, movie and music industry, video games are nowadays the most consumed cultural good in the world.

Provide access to video games in refugee camps, why?
Libraries Without Borders and the UEFA Foundation for Children wish to make a positive use of this cultural good for all. To this end, it was meaningful to us to hold this very first eSport tournament in Jordan : video games are a cultural product that refugees should have access to, just like any other. For the time of a match, they will then be able to escape from their daily lives and their hard living conditions.

Video games are first and foremost human. Whether they challenge each other, regardless their stories, the players create a social link, exchange and share with respect. Interactive and inclusive, it brings them entertainment and allows them to escape, tell and create stories. Imagination and creativity are boosted. The player is able to dive into other universes - as a novel or a comic can do - by making her or him the main character of her or his own story. It is a chance to meet each other, to learn the different issues and rules of living together. Finally, with the video games, failure - in all its forms - does not exist: it even constitutes the core of learning. And defeat encourages them to carry on and move forward.

About Librairies Without Borders

Since 2007, Libraries Without Borders has been working tirelessly to bring knowledge to those who are deprived of it - from refugee camps in Bangladesh to rural areas in France - and to make the right to culture a fundamental human right. In thirteen years, the association has reached more than six million people in fifty countries.

Project Partners

Two boys from Vilnius help 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 designs from two children from the Lithuanian capital.

Drawings by Lithuanian youngsters Germanas and Laimonas will appear on the ball. The pair attend free football training at the Vilnius social club, an organisation that aims to change people’s lives for the better. The pair have certainly benefited from their experiences and their love for football has grown even stronger.

“In my drawing you can see the heart and word football inside,” said 10-year-old Laimonas. “I just wanted to express my love to football, I really like it. I feel happy when I play football. What do I like the most? I like to dribble past defenders.”

“I like Vilnius social club football trainings. I just like to spend my time with the ball: to roll it, to juggle it or to play football,” mentioned Germanas, who is 11-years-old. “I painted myself – a football player who scores the goal. I drew this because this is my dream. I have never scored a goal, but I know that my dream will come true soon.”

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.”

I just wanted to express my love to football, I really like it. I feel happy when I play football. - Laimonas, 10.

Van from Ankaran, Slovenia, helped design the 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball

The 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League winners will play the 2020 UEFA Super Cup match with a special match ball featuring a selection of children’s drawings in its design

The drawings are the work of 18 children from different backgrounds from ten European organisations that work with the UEFA Foundation for Children. One of those children is Van. He goes to Debeli Rtič in Slovenia, a health resort and medical centre that holds football camps. Playing football helps Van connect with other children. After the last football camp, he expressed his feelings in a drawing. “I draw cartoons all the time. For the UEFA Foundation drawing contest, I simply drew what is essential in every sport.” Van drew a cartoon depicting two different teams – one won the match, the other lost. “In sports it is not important to win but to have fun. This message is for all kids, so they do not get used to always winning,” he said.

More information about Debeli Rtič und its work with the UEFA Foundation for Children:

Debeli Rtič is located in Ankaran, Slovenia and was founded in 1955.

Debeli Rtič is a health resort and medical and physiotherapy centre for children with limb, skin and locomotor system disorders.

Every child has access to football.

Mission

Debeli Rtič is a health centre and resort for children, teenagers and families run by the Slovenian Red Cross. It enjoys a healing microclimate and houses modern treatment facilities that promote recovery, good health and well-being.

The resort runs football camps for children during the summer holidays. The camps provide children with training by professional coaches, educational programmes and entertainment.

Activities

Children are at the heart of the activities at Debeli Rtič. Thanks to a donation from the UEFA Foundation for Children, 125 children were able to take part in five-day football camps in 2017 and in 2018.

Number of beneficiaries

More than 16,000 children, including 1,500 children from socially disadvantaged families, are yearly going to the health and resort center.

Impact

Football has a positive effect on the children’s health (well-being during the school holidays), behaviour (less fear and aggression), intelligence (spatial problem-solving) and the socialisation process (group activities).
Football is an inclusive sport that brings together children of different nationalities, social backgrounds and abilities. Young girls are very enthusiastic about football and like to train with the boys.
Sporting values such as fair play, team spirit and responsibility are important for the children’s education.
Most importantly, the children have fun and are happy with the football training and games.

“We are very grateful for the football field donated by the Football Association of Slovenia in 2014, which has enabled us to develop new sports programmes and helped improve the health of all the children. The continuing cooperation with the UEFA Foundation for Children greatly enhances and furthers our mission to improve children’s well-being.” Ana Žerjal, Debeli Rtič resort manager

2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball designed by children

Children’s drawings from ten UEFA Foundation for Children projects, will feature in the design of the 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball. Today UEFA begins telling the stories of the youngsters whose creativity made this unique initiative happen on its Instagram platforms.

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.”

Up to the 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.

The series starts today in Slovenia with the story of Van.

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.

- Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president

Interactive photographic exhibition

Give children a voice ...

The Foundation is established since April 2015. It underlines the will of UEFA, its founder, to use the power of football to improve the lives of disadvantaged children around the world. Photography was chosen to explain about the reasons for our commitment and the means put in place to achieve our mission: to defend the rights of the most vulnerable children by supporting NGO projects in the fields of health, disability, social inclusion of minorities, education and personal development up to employability.

The objectives of the exhibition are the following:

showing the foundation’s activities and arouse curiosity;
raising awareness of the environment of disfavoured children;
promoting the rights of the child and those of minorities (especially girls and children with disabilities through football);
campaigning for the improvement of the living conditions and social integration of disadvantaged children and to open a reflection on children’s situations in the world.

Ten projects are highlighted in this exhibition and giving the voice to educators and beneficiaries. Four of his projects are also presented in digital and interactive format.

You can discover the digital exhibition here. It is a zip file you need to 1)to download; 2) to unzip; 3) to go in the build folder and launch the photo expo app.

Download the app.

Overview of the projects

Blind Solidarity – This project was created after a trip to Mali by photographer Catherine Cabrol. On discovering the difficult living conditions of the blind youngsters, she was photographing, she decided to help them with Libre Vue association and provided them with a pitch and equipment so they could play blind football.

Sport knows no handicap – PluSport is an umbrella organisation for disabled sport in Switzerland. Its Goal Plus project harnesses the passion for football to give all disabled children – including those who use a wheelchair – an opportunity to play the game.

Autism and New Technologies – The UEFA Foundation for Children awarded FIRAH, the International Foundation of Applied Disability Research, a grant to improve communication for autistic children through its Autism and New Technologies project. L’Oiseau Blanc, a school that integrates autistic children, invited us in to see how technology can improve the children’s day-to-day lives.

Teaching inclusive football - This coach education programme run by the Scort Foundation and Football Club Social Alliance empowers young women and men to become proactive community leaders. In Ukraine, the coaches are working with young children affected by the conflict.

We Welcome Young Refugees - Since 2015, Royal Europa 90 Kraainem FC has been running an initiative to integrate young asylum seekers, entitled We Welcome Young Refugees. The project has already reached out to more than 1,500 unaccompanied minors.

Heroes on the field – The Cruyff Foundation provides underprivileged communities all over the world with safe playgrounds where children can grow up being active, improving their physical and mental development. The Heroes of the Cruyff Courts programme trains young coaches so that they can be role models in their neighbourhoods.

From sport to employment – Sport dans la Ville is a French organisation that uses sport to foster social inclusion. Its Job dans la Ville programme supports job creation and helps to integrate these youngsters into society, ensuring fairer life opportunities for all.

Peace and reconciliation through sport – The National Children’s Football Alliance has been organising the Global Peace Games since 2014 to celebrate peace through football. This peace education week, attended by thousands of young people from different backgrounds, aims to develop interpersonal and intercultural skills in the context of current conflicts.

Go girls! – This PSG Foundation project allows young girls living in deprived neighbourhoods to discover and enjoy sports and cultural activities. They are then encouraged to pursue an activity by joining a sports club.

Access to sport at any price – Red Deporte y Cooperación uses the power of sport to promote intercultural integration, focusing on leadership, gender equality, HIV prevention, hygiene and basic health education, and alcohol and drug prevention. This programme is run in Cañada Real, on the outskirts of Madrid.

All images were taken by artist photographer Catherine Cabrol

Heros on the field, project run by Cruyff Foundation

Autism and New Technologies, project run by FIRAH

Peace through sport, project run by National Children's Football Alliance

Go Girls! , project run by PSG Foundation We Welcome young refugees, project run by Royal Europa 90 Kraainem FC

42 new UEFA Foundation for Children projects

The foundation is expanding its activities in support of vulnerable children around the world

On Wednesday 20 November, the UEFA Foundation for Children’s board of trustees, chaired by the UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin, met at the House of European Football in Nyon.

One of top items on the agenda was the approval of new projects to be supported by the foundation. The portfolio of projects supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children has grown steadily since it was established in 2015.

On the basis of both the foundation’s basic mandate and overarching strategy and the demands and realities of the world around us, the foundation reinforce its actions in promoting employment through sport, support victims of conflict, and support general development programmes through access to sport, in particular football, in the areas of health, education, personal development and the integration of minorities.

The board of trustees decided at their November meeting how to allocate the foundation’s 2019/20 budget of €4,764,608, with a view to strengthening the foundation’s capacity to act across the globe.

Bearing in mind that half of the foundation’s budget is earmarked for projects in Europe and the other half for projects in other continents, the board allocated the 2019/20 budget to:

42 new projects;
foundation projects associated with UEFA EURO 2020;
five new pitch constructions, in partnership with Lay’s.

The following 42 new projects will benefit from financial support from the foundation:

Partners	Project name	Continent/country
		EUROPE
Asociata Luncsoara Bihorului	Sportfield for children and youngsters	Romania
Associacao de Futebol de Bragança	Street football move	Portugal
Bel endroit pour une rencontre	Raconte moi un match	France
Edwin van der Sar Foundation	Child and parent day	Netherlands
European Football for Development Network	Welcome through football	UK, Ukraine, Cyprus, Germany, Portugal, Netherland
FC Barcelona Foundation	Sport based employability for unaccompanied minors	Southern Spain, Greece (Athens, Lesbos), Italy (Sicily)
Fondation arménienne pour le développement durable	Génération Sport	Armenia
Fundacion Real Madrid	Real Madrid foundation social sports schools in Europe	UK, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania
Hawar help e.V	Scoring girls	Germany
INEX	Football for development in Czech Republic	Czech Republic
Katamon Moadon Ohadim	Neighborhood League HKJFC	Israel
Kicken ohne grenzen	Kicken ohne grenzen	Austria
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine	Health Goals Liverpool	UK
Mentor Management-Entwicklung-Organisation GmbH & Co	Goals for future	Austria
National Paralympic committee of Kazakhstan	Blind football pitch construction	Kazakhstan
Newcastle United Foundation	Active Lives	UK
Save the Children	Score for education	Albania
Streetfootballworld	Play Proud	Europe mainly + worldwide
The Scottish Football Partnership Trust	GoFitba project	Scotland
World at Play	Sport and Play for social integration of refugee children within local communities	Bulgaria
Klitschko Foundation	Success Package	Ukraine
		AFRICA
CCPA	Open fun football school - playing for peace	South Sudan
Busajo Onlus	Sport as education and promotion of equal opportunities for street girls in Sodo	Ethiopia
Inter Futura srl	African Black'n Blue: kids resiliencydevelopment through education and football	Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Uganda
Street Child	Excercising change in Palabek refugee settlement	Uganda
Georges Malaika Foundation	Future leaders of Kalebuka	Democratic Republique of Congo (DRC)
Power for the People	Remba Island education health and nutrition project	Kenya
Samusocial International	Carton rouge à l'exclusion	Burkina Faso
International organisation for migration	Sport for inclusion: football against racism	Tunisia and Maghreb
International Trade Centre	Kick for trade	Guinea, Gambia
		ASIA
Jesuit Refugee Service Iraq	A safe space for displaced Yazidi youth	Iraq
Blue Dragon Children's Foundation	New Futures through sport	Vietnam
Spirit of Soccer	Mine risk education in Cambodia	Cambodia
CIELO - Cooperation Internationale pour les équilibres locaux	Le jeu en vaut la chandelle	Sri Lanka
The Arsenal Foundation	Coaching for life	India
AFDP Global	Kick for hope	Jordan
		OCEANIA
Just Play	Just Play Programme	Cook Island, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island, Tonga, Vanuatu, New Zealand, American Samoa, Kiribati, Samoa, Tuvalu
		AMERICA
Starfinder foundation	Senior leaders	USA
Women Win	La Nuestra Football Club	Argentina
Plan International Belgique	A goal for gender equality	Bolivia
Fabretto children's foundation	Play to learn 2	Nicaragua
Fundacion del Empresariado Chihuahuense A.C	Afterschool program for underserved communities in Chihuahua border state	Mexico

Once again, the number and range of project proposals received by the UEFA Foundation –to foster education, development, inclusion and empowerment – proves how much football inspires and offers hope. The foundation is proud to support these associations and to see how much the beautiful game brings us together, carries us, saves us sometimes and, above all, unites us, ever expanding our horizons.

- Nathalie Iannetta, Board of trustee member

Klitschko foundation GATE_AF_CHERNIGIV_05701

Just Play Festival, Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Saturday 29th August 2015. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.phototek.nz

UEFA and Real Madrid foundations support disadvantaged children accross Europe

UEFA and Real Madrid foundations support disadvantaged children across Europe

UEFA Foundation for Children promoting education for girls in Mumbai

UEFA Foundation for Children promoting education for girls in Mumbai

UEFA Foundation for Children helping street children in Vietnam

UEFA Foundation for Children helping street children in Vietnam

The foundation celebrates its fifth anniversary

The foundation celebrates its fifth anniversary

UEFA Foundation for Children provides Mexican youngsters with sports and educational activities

UEFA Foundation for Children provides Mexican youngsters with sports and educational activities

UEFA Foundation for Children supporting street children in Senegal

UEFA Foundation for Children supporting street children in Senegal

UEFA Foundation for Children supporting projects in four sub-Saharan African countries

UEFA Foundation for Children supporting projects in four sub-Saharan African countries

UEFA Foundation for Children supports Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund

UEFA Foundation for Children supports Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund

About Common Goal

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

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

The UEFA Europa League Trophy Tour 2020 driven by Kia to Zaatari refugee camp

The Europa League Trophy Tour 2020 driven by Kia to Zaatari refugee camp

Refugees eSports Cup: the first eSports tournament in refugee camps

Refugees eSports Cup: the first eSports tournament in refugee camps

About Librairies Without Borders

Two boys from Vilnius help design 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball

Two boys from Vilnius help design 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball

Van from Ankaran, Slovenia, helped design the 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball

Van from Ankaran, Slovenia, helped design the 2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball

2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball designed by children

2020 UEFA Super Cup match ball designed by children

Interactive photographic exhibition

Interactive photographic exhibition

42 new UEFA Foundation for Children projects

42 new UEFA Foundation for Children projects

The foundation is expanding its activities in support of vulnerable children around the world