FIFPro report on footballers' Covid contributions

NAMPA / REUTERSThe global players' union FIFPro published a report yesterday highlighting some of the contributions made by professional footballers towards fighting the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.Here are some of the initiatives mentioned in the report: AS Monaco player Keita Balde arranged accommodation for 200 workers from Senegal based in Spain after they lost their jobs in hotels and restaurants.He paid for 80 of them to sleep in two hotels in Lleida and he helped arrange for 120 more to spend the night in a municipal pavilion.“I don't cry very often in my life but this time I shed some tears,” said the 25-year-old, who was born in Spain and plays for Senegal. “It was then I decided to take action personally, to help them and solve the problem.” Bayern Munich pair Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich raised around five million euros (N$95.3 million) with their #WeKickCorona campaign in Germany to support charitable associations and social institutions. Meanwhile, five football players with two second-division clubs in Japan have donated medical supplies to regional health authorities. Kentaro Oi and Hiroki Yamada, who play for Jubilo Iwata, gave 1 000 litres of antiseptic solution to Fujieda prefecture. Takanori Maeno, Daiki Nishioka and Kentaro Moriya, who are with Ehime, donated face masks to their local prefecture. Supporting familiesMoroccan player Abderrazak Hamdallah is supporting 1 000 families affected by the pandemic in his home country, while Esteban Granero, a player for Spanish third tier club Marbella, is using his artificial intelligence company to help fight Covid-19.The former Real Madrid player provided the resources and technology to develop epidemiological models to predict the future evolution of the pandemic at a national level and in each autonomous community in Spain.Some of the biggest names in women's football, from Sweden to Brazil, also teamed up with the One Goal charity by donating signed jerseys they had worn during matches. Feeding childrenMarcus Rashford successfully led a campaign which persuaded the British government to extend a free school meals scheme, benefiting 1.3 million children whose families are struggling with low incomes during the pandemic. Furthermore, the Common Goal social impact movement is encouraging professional football players, managers, officials and clubs to donate a minimum of 1% of their salary to football-based initiatives.

FIFPro report on footballers' Covid contributions

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-23

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FIFPro report on footballers' Covid contributions

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-23

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