European
champions Barcelona have launched a fundraising campaign in collaboration with
the Red Cross to raise funds for victims of the refugee crisis engulfing
Europe.
"FC
Barcelona wants to involve all its social mass (members, fans and fan clubs),
its sportsmen (professional players and coaches) and economic agents (sponsors
and suppliers) to obtain economic resources and make donations to the Red
Cross, who will attend the needs of the refugees," the club said in a
statement on Friday.
Star players
such as Lionel Messi and Neymar will front an advertising campaign to raise
money for the project that will be launched when Barca host Levante at the Camp
Nou on Sunday.
The club
also confirmed it will work with local authorities to ease the integration process
of those that arrive in the Catalan capital.
The move is
the latest in a series of attempts on the part of Spanish football to help with
the crisis.
The Syrian
refugee who made world headlines when he and his son were tripped up by a
Hungarian camerawoman as they entered the country has been handed a new life in
Spain by a football coaching school.
Osama Abdul
Mohsen, a former first division football coach in Syria, and his sons Mohammad,
18, and Zaid, seven, have been welcomed by Real Madrid president Florentino
Perez at the club's Bernabeu stadium and invited to Los Blancos' clash against
Granada on Saturday.
Real Madrid
also donated one million euros ($A1.6 million) to support projects for refugees
in Spain.
Real
Sociedad have pledged their support by meeting housing expenses and providing
educational grants in the northern Gipuzkoa region.
Meanwhile,
Villarreal will donate 100 per cent of the gate receipts from their match
against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday to charitable causes helping refugees.
UEFA have
also pledged a donation of two million euros to help young refugees "in
Europe and beyond" via the organisation's Foundation for Children
initiative.
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