Spanish footballer Fernandez pledges support to Slum Soccer
| Date :28-Sep-2020 |
Andres Fernandez
By Paritosh Pramanik ;
SLUM Soccer, the organisation working towards uplift of poor and needy through football, received a fillip for their noble work they are doing for the past several years. The organisation recently got support from a Spanish First Tier footballer. Recently, goalkeeper Andres Fernandez, who plays for SD Huesca in Spain’s La Liga First Division League, has pledged to support Slum Soccer.
Slum Soccer will conduct a Deaf Awareness Training programme for youth and coaches.
Through his desire to drive social change through soccer, Fernandez has pledged to donate one per cent of his earnings to the organisation. “In doing so, the LaLiga shot-stopper will help support the organisation in using the game to combat homelessness and promote education across India.” CommonGoal.org tweeted. The financial help will be given to Slum Soccer through ‘Common Goal’, a charitable movement launched by Spanish footballer Juan Mata. According to wikipedia, the movement encourages professional footballers and coaches to pledge at least one per cent of their salaries to a collective fund that supports football charities around the world. Fernandez has spent most of his career with Osasuna, making his first-team debut in 2007.
He has so far played 115 official matches. He also represented Villarreal in 2016 on loan and played four seasons with the side. Slum Soccer, which is formed by Prof Vijay Barse and has its headquarters in Nagpur, has been doing a yeomen service by educating kids from lower strata through football. Slum Soccer is recognised by World Football for Homeless and its teams have participated in various football World Cups for Homeless. This is for the first time that any La Liga footballer has come forward to support Slum Soccer. Slum Soccer thanked Fernandez for his humane gesture. “This extremely thoughtful and humane gesture of @AndresFdez86 would contribute immensely in our #ChangingLivesThroughFootball of many more homeless children and youth and offer them once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform their future through education #LaLiga @CommonGoalOrg,” tweeted Slum Soccer.
CEO Abhijeet Barse was all praise for Fernandez. “This is really a refreshing news for all of us at Slum Soccer. It is a very exciting news. This shows that our work of changing lives through football is admired around the world,” said Barse. “I would like to thank Fernandez for his support,” he added. “For the last six months since lockdown, we are working round the clock in providing online relief materials to citizens all over the country. We have provided hygiene kits to over 700 girls apart from giving ration kits in different States like Pune, Chennai, Gujarat, Haryana apart from Nagpur,” informed Barse.
“During Monsoon season, we have provided tarpaulin to the needy,” he added. On the one per cent pledge to Slum Soccer from Fernandez, Barse said details are yet to be finalised by Common Goal. “It is at a very initial stage. Common Goal has admired our work and they will be assisting us. Whatever Fernandez donates, it will go to Common Goal who will then transfer it to Slum Soccer,” informed Barse.