KAA Gent supports grassroots football

KAA Gent supports grassroots football

KAA Gent is a football club in full development. The championship of 2015 and the UEFA Champions League Campaign of 2015-2016 have given the club more leeway. KAA Gent is aware of its role as a professional football club in the local football community in Gent. In cooperation with its community foundation Football in the community and the City of Gent, a partnership around youth and grassroots football (Elk Talent Telt) was founded in 2015-2016. As of today, 13 clubs from Gent with youth teams are part of this unique cooperation.

The Belgian club decided to share its success with the local grassroots partnerclubs from the ‘Elk Talent Telt’ partnership. KAA Gent starts a support fund designed to financially support the local Gent grassroots football clubs. The fund and the regulations attached to the fund aim to improve the athletic and social workings of these partner clubs. The ‘Elk Talent Telt’ Charter, signed in 2015, is an important guideline for this project.

Michel Louwagie, KAA Gent’s general manager explains the proposal: “KAA Gent’s long term success will also depend on the work of Elk Talent Telt and the partner clubs. Athletic and social criteria will decide how much funds the partner clubs will receive. The initiative’s budget for 2017 will be 115.000 euros. This way we create an athletically and administratively qualitative, warm and open football community in Gent. We are one family!”

“Through the support fund the Elk Talent Telt partner clubs will be equipped even better to fulfill their social and athletic mission” says Resul Tapmaz, president of the KAA Gent Football in the community foundation.

KAA Gent’s initiative will be developed by the KAA Gent Football in the community foundation. The functioning of the fund and the amount of funds that are to be allocated will be evaluated at the end of each season, also in relation to KAA Gent’s financial possibilities.