Roma and Feyenoord join forces to support communities in Tirana

The two clubs, who will face each other at the Arena Kombetare on Wednesday evening, will collaborate on a number of activities in the Albanian capital – the first of which began on Monday, as representatives of both clubs visited local schools and soccer academies.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to embark on a series of sustainability initiatives within communities in Tirana – some of them in conjunction with Feyenoord and local institutions,” said Pietro Berardi, CEO of AS Roma.

“Some of these activities are well-established in the city of Rome, and we are delighted to be able to bring our legacy to the city hosting the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

“We are coming to the end of a season in which we have worked hard on the implementation of a number of meaningful projects, and we believe it is important that an event like a European final is also supported by a number of purpose-driven actions in our host city.”

Activities from both clubs are being carried out with the assistance of the UEFA Foundation and support from the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and the Italian Ambassador to Albania, Fabrizio Bucci.

“Tirana will forever be part of Feyenoord's history. We therefore want to try to leave something behind, so that the local population will look back on our stay here with a positive feeling," said Ton Strooband, Feyenoord’s Social Affairs Manager and head of the Feyenoord Foundation.

"The meeting with the representatives of AS Roma and Feyenoord is an experience they will always remember.

“Moreover, it is good that they see that football clubs nowadays are and do more than football alone.”

Activities will continue upto and including the day of the match, with a Roma club legend set to make a special visit to a local shelter that provides housing for single mothers and their children, families seeking support and care for severely ill children, and families recently displaced by earthquakes.

A number of victims of domestic violence will also attend the event, as the club brings its ‘Amami e Basta’ initiative, a campaign launched by the club in 2020 to combat violence against women, to Tirana.

The club’s support for local communities will also continue after the final whistle.

Roma, in collaboration with local institutions and the Mayor of Tirana, will work with the catering department at the Arena Kombetare in order to distribute surplus food from the hospitality area to local foodbanks and communal kitchens as part of the club’s ‘Sharing is Caring’ initiative already implemented at some home matches this season.