Football finds its charitable side

Professional football is often associated with players who earn millions, drive fast cars and live carefree lifestyles.

While that is true for some, of course, it is certainly not the case for the majority of employees in the football business – those who work in the media departments, at receptions, in merchandising and who sell drinks at the stadiums.

And it is those workers who are in danger of being hit the hardest by the Covid-19 coronavirus.

German Bundesliga players have led by example, with players from most clubs voluntarily taking pay cuts to prevent the non-playing staff from losing their jobs.

In a further gesture of goodwill, Germany’s four clubs that played in this season’s now suspended Champions League, decided to donate €20 million (R381 million) to the German Football League to be distributed among first- and second-division clubs that have fallen on hard times.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave Portugal hospitals equipment. Picture: Giuseppe Bellini / Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke, who joined Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig in the gesture, said that they wanted to play their part: “We have always said that we will show solidarity if clubs, through no fault of their own, get into trouble as a result of this absolutely exceptional situation, which they can no longer control alone.”

Superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo made donations of €1 million each to efforts to fight the virus. Messi’s donation was to a hospital in Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola donated the same amount to be used in Barcelona and Catalonia. Ronaldo bought medical equipment for Portuguese hospitals. In England, Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend called on fellow players “to give back” to supporters. He said he supports the #FootballUnited campaign that started on Wednesday, telling the media that the fans supported the clubs and players every weekend.

“The general public effectively pay our wages with their season tickets and their subscriptions to the TV services, so, at times like this, we have to give back.

“Crystal Palace is calling up season ticket holders, making sure they are okay and seeing if they need any help with shopping or any other errands.”

Barca’s Lionel Messi has donated R19.6 million . Picture: Sport Images / Getty Images

Another Palace player, Wilfred Zaha, who co-owns 50 properties in London that are usually rented out to short-term business travellers, made them available to medical workers to sleep in after their shifts.

Birmingham City captain Harlee Dean told his club chief executive officer that he would take a 50% pay cut for the rest of the season.

“Some people can help and some people can’t help, it’s just the nature of the beast,” he said.

“For me, not doing it for somebody in the club I know who works in admin or something like that, if they got laid off, not doing it doesn’t really sit well with me.”

Liverpool’s Andy Robertson is keeping six food banks in Glasgow open thanks to a huge donation, while captain Jordan Henderson said they would support a food bank in Liverpool that is normally supported by match-day collections.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford contacted a charity to find out what he could do.

“I wanted to understand the scale of the problem and how we can reach vulnerable children. No child should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from,” he said.

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