February 24, 2021 - Former legendary Croatia national team player and first-team player of Sevilla, Ivan Rakitic, will be the first UEFA Children's Foundation ambassador.
HNS reports that Rakitic will have the opportunity to participate in initiatives led by the UEFA Foundation and promote the work of a body that helps improve the lives of children around the world.
"I am proud to be part of the UEFA Children's Foundation family. I am really happy about that, but at the same time, I will have a great responsibility to show everyone that the UEFA Foundation and we players can achieve a lot and, above all, help children from all over the world to be happy and to laugh. I am the father of two girls, and I know very well what a smile on a child's face means," said Ivan Rakitić.
The president of UEFA, Aleksander Čeferin, who is also the president of the Board of the Children's Foundation, is delighted with Rakitić's support for the organization.
"Ivan Rakitić is not only one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, but he is also a person who wants to make a tangible difference off the field to improve the lives of others. I am impressed by Ivan’s dedication and desire to help children worldwide; we look forward to working closely together to achieve our goals. Our doors are always open to players, past and present. I would like you to follow Ivan's example and join the UEFA Foundation as ambassadors," said Alexander Čeferin.
Ivan won the historic silver with Croatia at the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and became European champion with Barcelona in 2015. In 2014 as captain of Sevilla, he won the Europa League. He recorded 106 appearances for Croatia before ending his national team career last year.
"I hope I have many more good years ahead of me, but I am convinced that when I finish my playing career, I will have more time to travel and be available. Of course, I want to dedicate myself to this role of ambassador from day one. Still, when I retire from playing, I am sure that I will have the opportunity to participate more in projects, and therefore my satisfaction will be even greater. The idea of being part of this family thrilled me from the very beginning; I hope to be an ambassador for many years because I know how important it is. We want to make as many children happy as possible," Rakitić concluded.
Since the UEFA Foundation was founded five years ago, around one million children have benefited from its range of activities worldwide, supporting projects in a hundred countries on five continents. Through sports, and especially football, the UEFA Foundation provides children in difficult conditions with hope for achieving life goals.
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