Real Madrid have become the latest high profile European football club to pledge support to refugees fleeing the Middle East and Africa and looking for a better life across Europe.
The 10-time Champions League winners announced they will donate one million euros to aid thousands of refugees streaming into Spain. The club will work with the Spanish Government on how best to use the money such as funding charity programs and offering facilities to newcomers to Spain.
A statement released by the club said: “Faithful to its commitment to charity, the club has taken this decision with the aim of supporting men, women and children who have been forced to leave their homes in order to flee from war and death.
“The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Perez, spoke by phone with the president of the Government, Mariano Rajoy. The pair talked about this contribution and other measures that the club will put in place in order to collaborate with the care of refugees that arrive in Spain.”
Across Europe, clubs have carried out various initiatives to help those arriving on European shores having completed treacherous sea journeys. Bayern Munich aim to raise one million euros through a charity match while they have also said they will set up a camp for refugees and provide food, shelter, accommodation, German lessons and football equipment. Refugee children will also accompany the players onto the field in their next match against Augsburg.
Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund allocated more than 200 tickets to refugees for their Europa League tie against Danish club Odd, while many other German clubs such as FSV Meinz, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Dynamo Dresden, Leverkusen, Schalke have launched their own initiatives.
