BBVA - Press Room

The soccer world showed its generous spirit with its support of the second edition of Champions for Africa, an event organized by UNICEF and the Kanouté Foundation, sponsored by BBVA and supported by the Spanish Football League and the National Sports Council. The presentation ceremony took place this morning in the Santiago Bernabéu, and was presided over by the president of Real Madrid C.F., Florentino Pérez. Soccer players Frédéric Kanouté and Sergio Ramos attended in their capacities as captains of the two teams who will play each other in this charity event.

The president of UNICEF, Spain, Consuelo Crespo, gave the opening speech for the event, expressing her gratitude to the soccer world for participating in the charity event. The proceeds will go towards promoting education in Africa, under the aegis of the Schools for Africa program. Ms. Crespo said that this project, which has been in operation since 2004, has already benefited over 3.6 million children, and that the proceeds from this match could benefit another 100,000 children.

The president of Sevilla FC, José María del Nido, was also present. Last year his team hosted the first edition of the event and today he symbolically handed over his responsibilities as “witness” for Champions for Africa to Florentino Pérez.

The president of the Professional Soccer League (LFP), José Luis Astiazarán, also attended and stated that the LFP felt privileged to be able to participate in this initiative, and expressed his desire to officiate over this collaborative effort in the future, and to thereby “return to society part of what the soccer world has received”.

Antoni Ballabriga, head of corporate responsibility for BBVA was also present, representing the event’s main sponsor. Mr. Ballabriga noted that BBVA already assists over 50,000 children in Latin America through its Niños Adelante scholarship program. With this new project, BBVA will provide assistance to 25,000 children in Africa through schooling, school construction, installation of sewage systems, and health and prevention initiatives.

Both Sergio Ramos and Frédéric Kanouté, captains of the teams which will play each other on December 22, Africa United vs. Liga BBVA, spoke of the project with great enthusiasm. Sergio Ramos, captain of the Liga BBVA team, declared, “you have to be human and remember that there are others who have nothing", and that this project was a marvelous way to do so.

Frédéric Kanouté, captain of Africa United, described the City of Children project on the outskirts of Bamako, run by the Kanouté Foundation. This space will be inaugurated in four or five months and will have the capacity to house 150 homeless, orphaned children from Bamako. Lastly, he expressed his thanks to Real Madrid for ceding the Bernabéu for the event and announced that the best African players from the Spanish, English and Italian leagues will be playing.

The proceeds from the second edition of Champions for Africa will be earmarked for UNICEF’s Schools for Africa project and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, whose goal is to provide African children with quality education: reconstruction and refurbishment of schools, water treatment, sewage systems and medical care.

The presentation was closed by the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, who highlighted the importance of the UNICEF initiative and the active participation of Kanouté, and predicted a successful outcome for the match on December 22 ; and the Secretary of State – President of the High Council for Sport,, Jaime Lissavetzky, who underscored the ambitious scope of this project which began only last year in Seville. In this regard, he acknowledged the government’s collaboration in the event and also expressed his gratitude to the private businesses which have participated in the project. “I hope that Champions for Africa serves as another stepping stone towards making this continent the leading light in the twenty-first century. This is Africa’s hour and sports is one of its star mediums”.