EFDN Highlights: August 2021

EFDN Highlights: August 2021

As 2021 comes to an end, EFDN invites you to look back on this year’s top activities, projects and news stories. Take a look at some highlights from August.

WOMEN IN FOOTBALL

We continued our “Women in Football” series in which our goal was to create visibility for women working in the football industry because we think that it is important to show role models to the participants of our European-wide educational programme and future generations. This month, we interviewed Jenny Eickhoff (Werder Bremen), Olga de la Fuente (La Liga) and  Aslı E. Koç (İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü). You can find all interviews on our Show Racism the Red Card Europe website here.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2021

International Youth Day arrives each year on 12 August with an invigorated spirit. And for the second time within a year and a half, it has arrived in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of the youth being emissaries of social development and positive global change has never been more evident – youngsters are the key to unlocking a path towards recovery and normalcy. On this special occasion, EFDN has shortlisted some of the work done by or for the youth in recent times and wishes to highlight the role member clubs, leagues and FAs play to support them in the path of their individual development. Here you can find a few Best Practices (programmes, projects, guides etc.), dedicated to World Youth Day 2021.

COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Community Champions League partners met virtually in a webinar to prepare for the next season. Nine clubs from across Europe are looking forward to the upcoming matches in the special competition. The Community Champions League is a social street football competition where participating teams can earn more points through fair play, equitable support and volunteering in community activities than by winning their street football matches. EFDN Project Manager Maria López Puchades opened the webinar and requested an update on the activities of the project partners. COVID-19 restrictions and challenges are very different in the countries of the partners but all club representatives are optimistic that they will be able to organise the competition in their local neighbourhoods this autumn. Results, news, photos and videos will be shared on the new Community Champions League website which will be officially launched soon. After discussing the communication and Monitoring & Evaluation, project partners talked about finance and details of the methodology. The clubs agreed on working towards a common point system and will test it throughout the upcoming season.

PREPARATION MEETING FOR FOOTBALL WORKS TOURNAMENT

The preparation meeting took place on the 25th of August to go over all plans, update all partners on the dissemination and agree on the delivery. On 14 October, the 5th edition of the international ‘Football Works’ tournament will take place in the PI Krimpen on the IJssel. The tournament, organised by EFDN, Penitentiary Institution (PI) Krimpen and ‘Werk via Sport’ is a platform for projects of prisons and football clubs that use the power of football for the successful reintegration of vulnerable target groups towards the labour market. Due to COVID, this year only teams from the Netherlands and Belgium will participate.

Member News

Real Betis revealed Forever Green as their kit sponsor. Starting then, it was carrying the Forever Green advertising, the platform through which the club wants to involve different companies in sustainable projects, on their kits.

Several EFDN Members highlighted social inclusion awareness with specially designed kits. Southampton FC, Everton FC, FC Nordsjælland, and Ajax Amsterdam presented specially designed rainbow jerseys to raise awareness for inclusivity in sport.

New Members

This month, new members De Graafschap and Eredivisie joined our network.