Picture by Marvin Ibo Güngör/LOC/Marvin Ibo Güngör
European Soccer Week (EFW) is returning for its 24th version, promising a vibrant celebration of soccer because the actually common sport for gamers of ALL talents.
This extremely anticipated annual initiative by Particular Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE) will have interaction over 35,000 athletes in 350 occasions throughout 45 nations. Each Could, EFW energises the European soccer neighborhood in any respect ranges and this yr can be no completely different. Over 100 soccer golf equipment and 45 nationwide soccer federations have signed as much as the 2024 version and the marketing campaign is as soon as once more receiving highly effective assist from UEFA Respect.
“Particular Olympics European Soccer Week represents the perfect of our motion: positioning inclusive grass roots sport to drive social inclusion and unity for nearly 1 / 4 of a century. This message has been entrance and heart, and has generated elevated influence, engagement and visibility throughout Europe Eurasia because it reaches extra athletes, coaches, followers and extra moments of excellence from the athletes of Particular Olympics. From tournaments to workshops to coaches’ trainings and past, #EFW2024 is a celebration of the transformative energy of sport, and the urgency of inclusion, on and off the soccer pitch.”
David Evangelista, Particular Olympics Europe Eurasia President
EFW is an annual spotlight within the Particular Olympics sports activities calendar. Since its inception in 2000, it has seen the start of greater than 7,900 native, nationwide and worldwide soccer actions, contributing immensely to altering attitudes in the direction of gamers with mental disabilities and increasing inclusive soccer alternatives for all.
Thanks partially to EFW lately, alternatives for Unified Youth have witnessed important progress. Unified Sports activities groups are comprised of an equal mixture of gamers with and with out mental disabilities. Whereas solely 14 nations supplied Unified coaching and competitions 20 years in the past, that quantity has now risen to 48 nations.
Picture by Marvin Ibo Güngör/LOC/Marvin Ibo Güngör
This highly effective partnership with UEFA has performed a pivotal position within the evolution of European Soccer Week over the previous 24 years. Annually, a whole bunch of golf equipment from European Leagues, such because the Italian Serie A and Serie B, German Bundesliga and Polish Ekstraklasa, prolong their assist to people with mental disabilities.
This yr, 45 UEFA member associations will assist Particular Olympics soccer and promote soccer as a sport for all.
UPS Europe and Toyota Motor Europe (TME) have additionally turn out to be key supporters of the initiative lately, each funding grassroots soccer occasions and offering worker volunteers at actions throughout the continent.
Different essential companions embrace EFDN who inform the soccer neighborhood about Particular Olympics work by way of their “Greater than Soccer” initiative and ICoachKids whose assets are properly utilized by coaches and bodily schooling lecturers all over the world.
Evangelista added, “We’re so pleased with our long-standing partnership with UEFA. Your collaboration helps be sure that European Soccer Week takes its rightful place as a key fixture of the European footballing calendar every year, displaying the world that soccer is certainly the Lovely Recreation for ALL.”
“The assist of native, nationwide or worldwide companions has been key to the expansion of European Soccer Week in final 20 years, and we sit up for constructing on this success within the years forward.” For extra info on European Soccer Week 2024, please contact:
Miroslaw Krogulec (Sports activities and Competitors)
Aoife O’Grady (Communications)
