Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri is demanding a reaction from his side in the Europa League and against Fulham following their loss to Tottenham where he said they lacked determination.
Chelsea and the New England Revolution have confirmed they will play a friendly as part of their campaign against antisemitism.
The match, dubbed “Game for Change,” will be played in Spring of 2019 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“I am proud of the work Chelsea does to promote equality and tackle discrimination all over the world,” Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich said in a statement.
“The Say No To Antisemitism campaign has already achieved so much in raising awareness of this important issue, but there remains a lot of work to do. I am delighted to join forces with New England Revolution and [owner] Mr. [Robert] Kraft in this initiative and we look forward to the match.”
Earlier this month, Kraft, who also owns the NFL’s New England Patriots, told the World Jewish Congress he had spoken to Abramovich about a game that would see both men donate $1 million (£778,565) to the fight against antisemitism, with all money from ticket sales going to the cause.
The fight against antisemitism has been championed by Abramovich, who was granted Israeli citizenship in May after his British investor visa was not renewed.
The Chelsea owner wants to eradicate it from the club’s fanbase, and in January announced the launch of the “Say No To Antisemitism” campaign in the matchday programme.
Holocaust survivor Harry Spiro was invited to Cobham to address the first-team squad in January, while the club sent a delegation to attend the annual March of the Living at Auschwitz in April. This was followed in June by an official visit, consisting of 150 supporters and club officials, to the Nazi concentration camp.
Sources told ESPN FC last month that Chelsea are committed to engaging any racist supporters in educational courses rather than imposing blanket bans, and could send low-level offenders on funded trips to Auschwitz as part of their drive to stamp out antisemitism.
Kraft has donated more than $100m to Jewish and Israeli causes along with his late wife Myra, funding the start of the Israel Football League and the construction of the 25-acre Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem.
Last year, he said he was “intrigued” by the prospect of owning a Premier League club and has been mentioned in the past as a potential future suitor for Chelsea.
Be the first to comment