FC Nordsjælland join Common Goal

As the first club in the world, FC Nordsjælland has joined the global movement Common Goal, which, through donations from the professional sport, will change the lives of many children and young people across the globe through football.

Since Common Goal was established, under a year ago, with the Spanish Champions League winner, World and European champion Juan Mata from Manchester United as co-founder, many top players and coaches have joined the good cause, incl. FC Nordsjælland's goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson and Head coach Kasper Hjulmand, by pledging 1% of their earnings to this collective fund. Common Goal then invests in community based organisations, which use football itself as a tool to accelerate positive changes in local communities.

These organisations have been identified as best in class and integrated in a global network that is managed by the international NGO streetfootballworld. All the organisations are aligned with a shared vision of changing the world through football.

Before the Danish Superliga season's final game against FCK, FC Nordsjælland signed an agreement with Common Goal, making the club the first in the world to join the good cause.

"We are proud of the fact, that we are the first club to join Common Goal. We know, that several other clubs in bigger leagues right now are waiting to join. But it has not been crucial for us, whether we became the first club to do this or not. We can see, that there is a clear match regarding values, between Common Goal and us. We are a club that would like to do, as we say we do. Whether it is regarding gender equality, developing young people and players or making a difference to others through football. So we enter Common Goal without any hesitation or reservations. We are convinced, that it is the right thing for us. And for football, says CEO Søren Kristensen. It is certainly no coincidence that the first club member in Common Goal comes from Denmark and is FC Nordsjælland.

"Since the establishment of Common Goal, we have had a thorough and constructive dialogue with both co-founders: Jürgen Griesbeck and Juan Mata. They stand for much of what we ourselves are doing every single day in FCN. Using football to make a difference. To fulfill dreams. And to provide opportunities for others. At the same time, we have experienced a keen interest from them on how, we do things in FC Nordsjælland and in the Right to Dream group. They've made it very clear to us, that Common Goal really wants FCN to be the first club to join the movement.

On several occasions, FC Nordsjælland and Common Goal representatives have visited each other and talked about everything from how football is developing, to how it can and should make a difference, and the next steps that should be taken. Co-founder Juan Mata says about FC Nordsjælland's entry into Common Goal:

- Ever since my first meeting with the people from FC Nordsjælland, and most recently with Head coach Kasper Hjulmand and Chairman Tom Vernon, I have felt that FC Nordsjælland is a breath of fresh air in the professional football world. They do things in a way, that I think is deeply fascinating and right. Not only

because of their approach to the game on the pitch, with the development of their own young players and style of play. But also, because the Right to Dream model, with social responsibility and the ambition to give back, is executed at a professional level.”

"It's very important for Common Goal, that we now get clubs into the movement. We have always known, that this is the next step for us. We have several interested clubs, who have expressed interest in joining us. But it was important to us, that the first club should be the right club to set an example to the others. And FC Nordsjælland and Right to Dream are the right match for us. FCN as a club showing the way, and Right to Dream, as an organization with a complete model with focus on education and taking responsibility for young boys and girls through football.”

FC Nordsjælland has decided to donate 1% of the club's total stadium turnover to Common Goal via the membership, and the entire 10-member management team have pledged 1% of their salary. All staff, including the club administration and player squad, can individually decide whether they will also sign up and support Common Goal via 1% of their salary. Several members of the players group have already committed themselves to this.

Common Goal’s ambition is to unite professional football as one giant global club with players, coaches, clubs, and fans, to fight the toughest social challenges affecting the world today. This includes issues ranging from HIV/AIDS to gender inequality to youth unemployment.

Facts: Common Goal

Launched in August 2017

48 Publicly announced Common Goal members

Among these are Juan Mata (Manchester United), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund), Sofie Junge Pedersen (Levante), Runar Alex Runarsson (FC Nordsjælland), Alexander Ceferin (UEFA President) and Coaches Kasper Hjulmand (FC Nordsjælland) and Julian Nagelsmann (Hoffenheim)

Common Goal is a global movement in which the football community pledges a minimum of 1% of its earnings to football for good organisations that use the game to advance the Global Goals. Common Goal is the creation of streetfootballworld, the international leader in football for good. Over the past 15 years, the organisation has assembled a global network of more than 120 football-based organisations that use football as a tool to tackle social issues ranging from gender equality in India to peacebuilding in Colombia to refugee integration in Germany. streetfootballworld supports Common Goal's members by aligning their donations with social initiatives that generate the greatest impact around the world.

Read more at https://www.common-goal.org/