ECA, European Club Association, and its member clubs will come together on International Missing Children’s Day in May to support a new initiative that hopes to help find vulnerable young people.
Atalanta are one of five Italian clubs supporting the initiative – with Inter, Juventus, Lazio and Roma also taking part on May 25.
In total, 55 clubs have already offered to support the project with Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur from England, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia from Spain, Marseille from France and Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen from Germany just some of the many teams representing over 37 different countries and leagues across the world.
Over 50 ECA Member Clubs have volunteered to use their social media channels on 25 May to share videos featuring children who are currently missing all over the world.
The ‘Football Cares’ initiative is being run by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) and is supported by both ECA and FIFA.
AS Roma, who have a longstanding relationship with ICMEC, are helping to facilitate the project.
“ECA and its member clubs are proud to be teaming up with ICMEC, an organisation that has done incredible work in helping vulnerable young people across the world for over two decades, to show that ‘Football Cares’ on International Missing Children’s Day,” said Charlie Marshall, Chief Executive Officer at ECA.
“Clubs have a longstanding tradition of being vehicles for social impact in both their local communities and globally, a tradition of massive importance in today’s world. As a collective unit, ECA’s members have an unparalleled platform to reach millions worldwide to support those that are particularly vulnerable in our society.”
“Over one million children are reported missing around the world each year, and a missing child is a vulnerable child. While the majority may return home quickly and safely, many remain missing for longer periods of time,” added Bob Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer at ICMEC.
“On International Missing Children’s Day 2020, we are honoured to have the support of the world’s football community. With the huge following and global reach that these clubs boast, we hope that someone, somewhere might recognize one of the missing children in the videos so they can be reunited with their loved ones.”
For more than 20 years, ICMEC has been leading efforts to make the world’s children safer from abduction, sexual abuse and exploitation. Their work reaches across every continent, and ICMEC’s Global Missing Children’s Network brings together 30 countries to help them recover missing and abducted children.
On 25 May each year, to mark International Missing Children’s Day, ICMEC coordinates activities and campaigns to build awareness around the issue of missing children, celebrate those who have been recovered and remember those who are still missing.
“Football is the world’s most popular sport, and ICMEC greatly values the unique potential of the clubs to amplify our efforts to publicize the plight of missing children through their incredible social media presence,” said Caroline Humer, Vice President of Programs.
“We’d like to thank the ECA and FIFA for their fantastic support, every club who has agreed to participate in the ‘Football Cares’ Initiative and also AS Roma, who first approached us about the initiative and are helping ICMEC to put the campaign together.”
The following ECA Member Clubs have all agreed to support the ‘Football Cares’ Initiative on International Missing Children’s Day – with more clubs to be announced before 25 May.
AEK Athens, Grecia
Al Ahly SC, Egitto
Alianza FC, El Salvador
Astana, Kazakhstan
Asteras Tripolis, Grecia
Atalanta, Italia
Athletic Bilbao, Spain
Atletico Madrid, Spain Atromitos Athens, Grecia
AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Germania BAK, Ungheria
Barcelona, Spain
Benfica, Portugal
Bofoakwa Tano FC, Ghana
Borussia Dortmund, Germania
Bulawayo Chiefs FC, Zimbabwe
Caps United, Zimbabwe
Celtic, Scozia
CFR Cluj, Romania
Chelsea, Inghilterra
Chicken Inn FC, Zimbabwe
Cork City, Irlanda
EB Streymur, Faroe Islands
Fehervar, Ungheria
Ferencvaros, Ungheria
FK Jelgava, Lithuania
FK Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Genk, Belgio
GFK Osogovo, Macedonia
Gokulam Kerala FC, India
Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel
Hittarps IK, Sweden
1899 Hoffenheim, Germania
Inter Milan, Italia
Jamshedpur FC, India
Juventus, Italia
KAA Ghent, Belgio
Kariobangi Sharks FC, Kenya
La Fiorita, San Marino
LASK, Austria
Lazio, Italia
Lincoln Red Imps, Gibilterra
Linfield , Irlanda del Nord
Liverpool, Inghilterra
Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia
FC Lori, Armenia
Ludogorets Razgard, Bulgaria
Malmö FF, Sweden
Marseille, France
Olympiakos, Grecia
Omonia, Cipro
Panathinaikos, Grecia
PAOK Salonika , Grecia
Rangers, Scozia
AS Roma, Italia
Rosenborg, Norvegia
Saint Anthony’s FC, Scozia
Sekondi Hasaacas FC, Ghana
SJK Seinajoki, Finland
Slavia Prague, Czech Republic
Slovan Bratislava, Slovakia
Sutjeska Niksic , Montenegro
Tottenham Hotspur, Inghilterra
Valencia, Spain
Viktoria Plzen, Repubblica Ceca
Wellington Phoenix, Nuova Zelanda
Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia
VfL Wolfsburg, Germania
WSG Tirol, Austria
Young Boys, Svizzera
Zimbru Chisinau, Moldova
FC Zenit, Russia
FC Zurich, Svizzera
Other ECA Member Clubs wishing to support this initiative can contact footballcares@asroma.it for further information.
