12 March 2022
The images of a war in the heart of our continent deeply struck the women and men of Juventus, provoking a mobilisation that has touched everyone. Passively observing without acting was impossible, as was commenting on the events without trying in every way to set up an operation to help. The war in Ukraine is day after day causing suffering and death, but above all, it is destroying the daily lives of millions of people, forced to flee their country.
This is why Juventus today did not just take to the field against Sampdoria - there are moments in which we need to show, with concrete action, that we are close to those who are suffering.
Juventus decided to do it, and took to the field with all its strength, and with the immense help of all the employees. The Club is accompanying 80 people to Italy. The vast majority of them are children aged 6 and 14, together with some mothers. Some of these people were recovered following a request for help from the Ukrainian Football Federation, which came through Alex Velykykh, a native of Donetsk, to rescue the children and young people of football schools evacuated in Kiev, Kharkiv and other affected areas by the bombing.
Over the last week, to get the most out of this vast effort, a collection was started that involved all the women and men of Juventus, as well as some local schools, to provide basic necessities, clothes and medicine.
The next step was the journey. A small convoy set off on Friday from Continassa towards Hungary, a round trip that covered 2800 kilometres to Zahony, close to the Ukrainian border. The Juventus delegation (approximately 20 people led by Chief Executive Officer, Maurizio Arrivabene, with Deniz Akalin and Luca Stefanini, Head of Medical Department, as well as a staff selected to provide any support necessary on site, such as a psychologist and paediatrician) arrived in Hungary on Saturday morning, welcomed by the mayor of Zahony.
The operations were facilitated by the help of the Hungarian Consul General, Jenō Csiszár.
During the journey, the Juventus crew noticed a strong presence of cars and other vehicles with Italian registration plates, proof of the great solidarity supplied by Italy.
In these hours the most important phase has begun: returning with the children and mothers, who will find home in the province of Cuneo, in La Morra, in the Hotel Santa Maria, made available by the Piedmont Region and by the Civil Protection Department, who immediately took action to support this project.
This expedition has a great significance for the whole of society: we all stand with those suffering from war, in the hope that peace will soon return.
