Fundação Benfica hosted 3rd Walking Football Festival

Fundação Benfica hosted 3rd Walking Football Festival

Fundação Benfica partnered with EFDN for the 3rd Walking Football Festival Lisboa in Lisbon on the 20^th and 21^st June 2019. Teams played on the pitches outside of the Estadio de Luz.

Teams were made up of 8 to 10 players plus 2 staff. There were two separate competitions, one for teams who liked to play competitively and one for teams who prefer a more relaxed competition. In total, more than 400 players were active during the Festival. The competitive tournament which was made up of 20 teams used the EFDN Walking Football rules. EFDN member FC Emmen travelled with its team to Lisbon. One of the coaches praised in an interview with BenficaTV, in particular, the kindness of the hosts, the organisation of the tournament and the accommodation.  

EFDN Practitioner’s Guide on Walking Football 

The Walking Football methodology targets people of 50 years and older that were out of reach for grassroots sports clubs and sport based community organisations before. More and more professional clubs contribute to the Walking Football movement. EFDN members are taking a leading role. EFDN organised already several Walking Football tournaments across Europe and delivered the European Legends programme. The programme met the objective of increased participation in sport, physical activity and voluntary activity in its target group of individuals ages 50+. Furthermore, EFDN developed a Practitioner’s Guide that enables sports clubs, community organisations and sport governing bodies from all parts of Europe to implement the methodology in their respective regions and inspires thousands of others to get involved in Walking Sport.

The Practitioner’s Guide is available for download.