UEFA launches FootbALL programme for diversity and inclusion

A game that is increasingly inclusive and accessible to all. This is the goal of FootbALL, the new UEFA campaign which officially kicked off last weekend during the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul. The programme is built on three key pillars – campaign, platform and activation – bringing together all of UEFA’s social sustainability initiatives and events. The message the campaign seeks to convey is simple yet significant: everyone is welcome in football. A message also endorsed by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin: "Football, with its universal language, can break down barriers and bring hearts together. Inclusivity and openness are the main keys to unlocking the true potential of our game. Through football we want to embrace everyone. Everyone must be respected and valued. With the FootbALL initiative we want an environment where talent can flourish free from discrimination and dreams have no limits." The FootbALL campaign will drive new actions and expand existing ones – such as the Outraged programme on discrimination and online abuse in football – while also informing the public about everything being done by UEFA, its member associations and partners in relation to inclusion and equality in European football. The campaign will also contribute to achieving the objectives set out in UEFA’s Sustainability Strategy. A promotional video for the campaign has also been released – which you can find on our social media channels – featuring stories of people from different parts of the world and diverse backgrounds. The video also includes the story of Linda Repetti, who works as a groundskeeper at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa: "People are surprised when I tell them what kind of job I do because there are not many women in this field. I have always fought and worked hard to achieve this profession." The theme of respect in football is also addressed by Patrick Vieira, a legend of the French national team, with whom he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000: "Through football you can go beyond nationality, ethnicity, gender and religion. From a very young age, children play together and speak the common language of football. We must protect diversity in football so that everyone can be respected and be part of the community."   Click here to watch the campaign video  

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