Footballer Paul Pogba and UEFA support Afghan landmine victims

For the ninth consecutive year, UEFA has set aside €100,000 for the ICRC. Each year, the donation is handed over by a player voted onto UEFA.com users' Team of the Year. 

This year's cheque will be presented by Juventus player Paul Pogba before the start of today's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg match against FC Bayern München at Juventus Stadium, in Turin (23 February 2016 2030 CET). He will present it to the Head of the Physical Rehabilitation Program in Afghanistan Alberto Cairo. 

The donation supports the ICRC's physical rehabilitation programme for landmine victims and other people with disabilities in Afghanistan – providing artificial limbs, physiotherapy, vocational training and access to the centre's football team. About a third of patients are children.

Before making the UEFA donation to the ICRC, Juventus and French international midfielder Paul Pogba said: "It's an honour for me to take part in this occasion, and to have been chosen. This shows us again how lucky we are: we are able to play football, we are healthy. I am really touched and I want to thank them.”

He also added, “The people at the ICRC rehabilitation centre in Afghanistan are extremely courageous to hold on to their dreams and never give up, because they have experienced a lot, often at a young age, and they are brave enough to keep on playing football, even though they have lost a limb. They are incredible, and I congratulate them for that. And I tell them to keep on fighting, to try and fulfil their dreams and never give up because they are extraordinarily brave."

Over 7 million votes were cast in selecting the UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2015, with Paul Pogba, Neymar and James Rodríguez entering the annual selection for the first time.

Shotlist

Location: Afghanistan / Switzerland
Length:
Format: HD H264 mov
Sound: English & French
ICRC ref: AV436N
Date: January / February 2016

Copyright: ICRC access all

0:00     Young athletes putting on football gear
0:25     Athletes practising drill
0:47     More drill shots
1:00     Players playing football

1:14     SOUNDBITE: Paul Pogba, in (in French):
“It's an honour for me to take part in this occasion, and to have been chosen. This shows us again how lucky we are: we are able to play football, we are healthy. I am really touched and I want to thank them.”

1:39     SOUNDBITE: Paul Pogba, in (in French):
“A message I can send them is how courageous to hold on to their dreams and never give up, because they have experienced a lot, often at a young age, and they are brave enough to keep on playing football, even though they have lost a limb. They are incredible, and I congratulate them for that. And I tell them to keep on fighting, to try and fulfil their dreams and never give up because they are extraordinarily brave."

2:22     Interior shots of patients inside ICRC orthopaedic centre in Kabul
2:37     Male patient putting on prosthesis in orthopaedic cenre
2:50     Exterior of ICRC ortho centre
3:05     Kabul GVs
3:19     END