A year in review
963 million of human beings are currently suffering from hunger worldwide. This dramatic trend must be reversed. The Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) and its 29 Members and Associate Members have joined forces with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in battling starvation.
On the 20 to 22 March 2009 “Match Day against Hunger” weekend, across Europe hundreds of professional football matches across Europe have been dedicated to raise awareness about this growing problem. Among several initiatives, “Professional Football Against Hunger” banners, t-shirts worn by the players entering the field, and screenings of videos of TeleFood projects, were seen in the stadiums of the European Professional Football Leagues at the centre of this awareness Campaign.
The initiative had an outstanding impact in raising awareness to sensitize football fans and the whole public opinion about the devastating problem of hunger. Hundreds of Media all across Europe covered the Campaign with great interest and sense of responsibility.
The match weekend occurred within the scope of the Cooperation Agreement signed between both organizations and followed the launch of the humanitarian campaign “Professional Football against Hunger”, on the occasion of the celebration of the World Food Day at FAO headquarters in Rome, on 15 October 2008.
Whiting the same context, on January 2009, a high-level delegation of EPFL Executives and football players from Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal visited micro projects in Egypt, as part of the preparations for the EPFL/FAO Professional Football anti-hunger match weekend.
EPFL senior officials and eminent football players from Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal had to opportunity to see projects designed to improve the nutrition and livelihoods of vulnerable women and children, and to train youngsters in pesticide-free crop production techniques.
The group included the EPFL Chief Executive Officer, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, the President of the Spanish League and EPFL Board member, José Luís Astiazarán, Olga de La Fuente, Olga de La Fuente, Director of the Spanish League Foundation and Tom Bender, Chief Marketing Officer of the German Football League and President of the Bundesliga Foundation, who where joined by the 1982 World Champion Paolo Rossi (Italy – Ambassador of the Lega Calcio), the former German football star Hansi Müller (Germany – Ambassador of the Bundesliga), and the coach of the Al-Ahly Football Club, Manuel José (Portugal – Ambassador of the Portuguese League), four times champion of the African Champions League.
The EPFL-FAO partnership serves “to sensitize public opinion about the devastating problem of hunger that still affects as many as 963 million people.” says FAO Director-General, Jacques Diouf.
“We are very proud of our League's ability to generate economic development, employment and progress in many areas. But we have also a very strong social conscience.
