The eighteen clubs of the Eredivisie reached almost half a million people with social projects in the 2021/2022 season. This emerges from a study commissioned by the Eredivisie CV from the University of Utrecht.

This involved a total of 153 social projects in areas such as lifestyle, health, solidarity and integration, in which footballers were regularly involved. The clubs spent more than 4.5 million euros in the Corona season.

Jan de Jong, director of the Eredivisie CV, is of course delighted with the results: “It shows that football is really much more than just those ninety minutes on the pitch, walking on a pitch, encouraging people to eat healthy and to move more. “

inclusion and discrimination

Football clubs have been working on such projects for society for about twenty years, but in recent years the approach has become more professional and the issues have become more diverse. For example, inclusion and dealing with discrimination have recently been topical both in the stands and in society.

According to De Jong, football can play an important role in this: “On the field, football is the most inclusive society in the Netherlands, it is very diverse what is on the field. In addition, it can be even more inclusive. Football clubs reach people, authorities such as politics, government and municipalities.”