By playing a leading role in society’s reaction to the COVID-19 virus, European football has demonstrated the strength of charming play to touch people’s lives, even in the most difficult times.
It was a year in which European football would come together to celebrate the 60th years of the EURO by creating a tournament linking 12 countries. In 2020, national federations, leagues, clubs and fans joined, but not for EURO 2020, which UEFA postponed for 12 months. in reaction to the global pandemic.
By contrast, from the local to the elite level, Europe’s most popular game has joined the unusual cause of helping society cope with the monetary and fitness consequences of national closures.
Football-inspired projects included: increasing the budget to buy medical equipment; Produce educational videos on how to maintain compatibility at home Provide food to the elderly and vulnerable, turn stadiums into transitional hospitals and garage centers, or use massive game success to convey important public fitness messages.
We closed an unforgettable year remembering several poignant examples of the largest force on the net forever:
With cleverly written songs, impressive tiphos and extensive logistical experience, club fan teams are beautifully organized and proud bodies. It was natural that when the coronavirus hit, they were among the first to help local communities in each and every possible way.
There are countless stories of generosity, collaboration and heroism, adding to the group of food banks that supports fans. Composed of rival supporters from Everton and Liverpool, members have teamed up to feed other vulnerable people across the city, creating a food centre to fill the void left by collections held at football matches.
The organization then focused on supporting key staff, creating the Merseyside Personal Protective Equipment Center (PPE). Together with their partners, they helped produce and distribute more than 25,000 visors, piles of medical uniforms and more than 3,000 masking in the region. it then sent another 5000 protection viewers to key personnel based in other UK cities.
“I can’t stand still and do nothing. I would like doctors and nurses who have to work hard for all of us to now heal the world,” PSV midfielder Michal Sadlek said after donating a budget to a hospital in his hometown.
Sadleek’s kind gesture and warm feeling echoed Europe. The huge popularity and success of football has allowed its main players to spread vital messages across the continent, as well as essential monetary support. We presented some of the responses from national associations when everyone was involved.
In August, competitions between UEFA clubs were able to resume behind closed doors for a series of 8 definitive singles tournaments in a singles match, held in Germany, Portugal and Spain.
During the first round of matches, a minute’s silence was kept to pay homage to the lives lost during the pandemic, while during the tournament, the groups used the words ‘Thank you’ on their T-shirts to honor key staff on the front line of the pandemic. . .
It was a movement that was noticed around the world, as some clubs began raising funds for charities by promoting those limited edition T-shirts.
Before competitions between UEFA clubs were played again, UEFA. com highlighted efforts to engage clubs with their communities. Everyone had a story to point out.
Highlights of the Champions League included Atletico Madrid’s virtual press meetings for fans, keeping them in touch with players during closing, and Chelsea making their hotel rooms in place for key staff on the front line of the pandemic.
The eventual winners, Bayern, set aside their rivalries on the pitch with Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen to create a solidarity fund of up to EUR 20 million for Bundesliga clubs and 2. The Bundesliga is suffering to deal with the economic consequences of closure. football.
The women’s clubs of the Champions League were no less active. Hayley Sinclair, a part-time member of the City of Glasgow, continued her paintings as a caretator, and her partner Jo Love paints for Glasgow Scientific Services on a team that has put her to paints in the manufacture of hand sanitizers for frontline staff.
In the Europa League, Inter finalists donated one million masks to Italy’s national civil coverage agency, such as the launch of a crowdfunding programme for vaccine studies that raised 658,000 euros.
Shakhtar players Andriy Pyatov and Sergii Kryvtsov gave the impression in a series of 12 educational videos that trained schoolchildren to carry out the country’s blockade at home, and the club also offers 20,000 coronavirus control kits for medical services in the Kharkiv region.
In fact, it was a year we will never forget, especially for the solidarity shown through the many players of European football and the collective sense of the industry’s duty to their communities.
© 1998-2020 UEFA. All rights are reserved