MADRID, 18 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ecuadorian defender of Brighton & Hove Albion Pervis Estupiñán has joined Common Goal, an initiative promoted by the Spanish Juan Mata and with which footballers commit to donate 1% of their salary to causes for social purposes, and will join forces to the Ecuadorian organization Foundation of the Americas for Development (FUDELA).
Estupiñán, who will play his first World Cup and will debut in the opening match against the hosts Qatar, will support the Ecuadorian organization on its new path. Founded in 2008, FUDELA uses football as a tool to create opportunities in the lives of more than 30,000 young people, offering comprehensive training and development of technical skills that improve the chances of young people to find work, helping vulnerable young people without access to education. or employment and preventing situations such as unemployment, violence, drug use and adolescent pregnancy.
“It’s hard for me to believe that a boy who grew up playing in the streets of Esmeraldas, in Ecuador, has achieved so many dreams. I never would have believed then that he would play in LaLiga, then in the Premier League and now in the World Cup. That’s why I want to take advantage of the most important match of my life so far to draw attention to what football is capable of achieving in communities around the world when we all work together,” said Estupiñán.
“I am very proud to be the first Ecuadorian to join the Common Goal team and grateful to the platform that allows me to be part of a global movement that addresses shared goals, while allowing me to empower the disadvantaged communities of Esmeraldas, where I grew up, and give something back to my country, Ecuador. I hope many others join me in the best team in the world,” added the former Villarreal footballer.
The joint work between Estupiñán and FUDELA will begin in his hometown, Esmeraldas, to create and promote safe spaces for crime prevention, social inclusion, and promote healthy lifestyles through training activities for young people.
Estupiñán joins Common Goal just a week after another Premier League player, Brentford midfielder Sergi Canós, did. The movement already has more than 200 members of 51 nationalities – of which almost half are women – including Serge Gnabry, Vivianne Miedema, Jürgen Klopp, Alex Morgan, Paulo Dybala, Pernille Harder, Dani Olmo, Christiane Endler and Kasper Hjulmand, Denmark coach, figures such as UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, former player Eric Cantona, clubs such as German Werder Bremen, Danish FC Nordsjaelland and American Oakland Roots and Angel City or partners such as adidas and DAZN.
Common Goal co-founder Juan Mata praised the Ecuadorian soccer player’s decision. “It’s inspiring to see a young player like Pervis use his first World Cup match to illuminate what football can and should be: a force for good. If we all work together, we can help children and young people in communities around the world. to achieve their objectives, using football as a tool”, he indicated.
“If you are a player, a club or any other stakeholder in football who wants to take tangible action to help foster positive change on the big issues we all face as humanity, such as racial justice, gender equality , LGBTQ+ inclusion or climate action, join us at Common Goal. Together we can enable football to reach its full potential both within and through the game. Together we can change the world.”
Common Goal’s long-term goal is to have a positive impact on 100 million young people by 2030. In addition to 150 community organizations, members also contribute to change through collective projects such as ‘Playing for Peace’, ‘Global Goal 5 Accelerator’, ‘Play Proud’ or ‘Anti-Racist’ Project.