UEFA foundation creates children's day to remember with Olympiacos stars

Building up to the thrilling final between Olympiacos and Fiorentina, the UEFA Foundation for Children invited children from local NGOs and the Aliguma Foundation in Uganda to meet some of the Olympiacos squad, attend the team’s training session and finally, watch the UEFA Europa Conference League final unfold from the stands.

These NGOs support children and refugees in need by providing opportunities to play football and fostering a strong community through the beautiful game. For the children, this was a rare chance to go behind the scenes of a European final and interact with star players they usually see only on TV.

The kids had the chance to chat with players such as matchwinner Ayoub El Kaabi, Youssef El Arabi, Konstantinos Tzolakis and Vicente Iborra, had their shirts signed, and took pictures with their heroes, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

EURO 2004 legends match and Conference League final

Children accompany players onto the pitch at the finalUEFA

On matchday, the excitement continued in the heart of Athens at the fan festival. Members of Greece's EURO 2004-winning squad, including Dimitrios Papadopoulos, founder of ActionAid Hellas, joined the kids for an afternoon filled with playful activities and football fun.

The entire group then proceeded to the stadium to attend the game, with some of the younger children having the honour of acting as player and referee escorts before the match thanks to Conference League sponsors Hankook Tire, Strauss and Just Eat. The club also gifted the kids with Olympiacos jerseys, which they proudly wore at the game.

ActionAid Hellas

ActionAid’s project is to empower disadvantaged children by developing football and youth club activities in Athens, addressing youth disengagement, social exclusion and community-building issues. It provides targeted dissemination/capacity building to sports, education and CSO professionals across Greece.

The UEFA foundation’s support is dedicated to developing Foodball3 training and matches, giving access to sports and motivation through positive role models (professional athletes and peers) for marginalised youth, providing psychosocial and educational support services and encouraging youth civic engagement activities.

Organisation Earth

Organisation Earth is a Greek non-profit, non-governmental organisation whose mission is to provide experiential, non-formal education for sustainable development for all ages, introducing key sustainability issues into everyday life, primarily through learning activities.

Organisation Earth is using the funding from the UEFA Foundation for Children as an incentive to introduce football activities into their work.

The organisation has a lot of experience working in refugee camps in Greece, providing services and opportunities to refugees that go beyond providing accommodation and food, but foster critical thinking and the ability to make informed decisions.

Aliguma Foundation

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin with children from the Aliguma FoundationUEFA

Founded by Ritah Aliguma in 2017, the Aliguma Foundation is a non-governmental organisation that is using sport to bring hope to young people growing up in Kampala slum district in Uganda. The initiative empowers beneficiaries to build better lives for themselves and their families by facilitating access to education, essential health care and football training for children.