Nine Values Cup Was Established Within the Football for Friendship Program

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The global FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP movement within Gazprom social children’s programme that is being held under the patronage of the global ambassador Franz Beckenbauer, has resolved to establish FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP Nine Values Cup.

Eight values of the program – friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory and traditions – were formed in 2013 by young delegates of the First International Children’s FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP Forum from eight European countries. In 2015 Asian countries (Kazakhstan, China and Japan) have joint the program and introduced the ninth value – honor. To promote these nine values among younger generation it was resolved to establish Nine Values Cup that motivates young football players to follow good examples of the world sports community.

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The Cup is presented to one of 32 football clubs of UEFA Champions League current season that shows the greatest commitment to nine values of the FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP programme through charity campaigns, social initiatives and other projects implemented to benefit the society. Nine Values Cup is unique as the winner is defined by children, participants of the FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP programme.

In 2015 young footballers from 24 countries were invited to participate in voting and chose the football club that they think is worth of Nine Values Cup. Upon that children acted as ambassadors and expressed opinion of more than 100 000 people who support the global FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP movement in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom.

The winner will be announced on June 6, 2015 at the Third International Children’s FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP Forum in Berlin that will feature the award ceremony where young delegates are to present Nine Values Cup to the representative of the award-winning club.

"I think this is a great idea to offer children to appraise adult’s efforts on implementing social initiatives aimed at good of the community. While realizing such initiatives we, adults, first of all are thinking about future. And children are our future. That is why the Cup, awarded by children, for any professional club will be especially valuable," said Didier Baisnée, the coach of Cosmopolitan Club de Taverny team, participant of FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP program from France.

Nine Values Cup was made by the famous German sculptor Achim Ripperger in a single copy especially for the FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP programme and represents a unique piece of art. Achim Ripperger has been doing painting and sculpturing since 80s; he ranked second at the national tender of Brandenburg an der Havel Culture Association and at the Arts and Culture Forum in Herzogenrath as well as won the Art Award 2013 (Germany).

The sculpture features a figure of a young football player holding in his hands an Earth in the form of soccer ball. It symbolizes the future, which is in hands of next generation and which depends on values this generation believes in and promotes.

"The FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP programme gets important universal values to younger generation," notes Achim. "I think this is a wonderful project and I gladly accepted an offer to develop design of Nine Values Cup that delivers a high-minded message to the world and calls to care and compassion. I had a challenging task to perform and it was a real pleasure to work on it. It was a new, unique experience for me, and I am happy I could contribute to promotion of such important values as friendship and mutual respect."  

Background

The Football for Friendship international children’s social project is implemented by Gazprom within the Gazprom for Children program. The project is aimed at developing the youth football game, fostering tolerance and propagating friendship among children from various countries. The key values supported and promoted by the participants include friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory and traditions. World football legend Franz Beckenbauer is the global Ambassador of the project.

The annual Football for Friendship international children’s forum is the major event of the project, bringing together 12- to 14-year-old players from top football clubs. The key project principles were outlined by young delegates from 8 European countries during the first Forum held in London on May 25, 2013. The second Forum uniting the representatives from 16 countries took place in Lisbon between May 23 and 25, 2014.

During the Football for Friendship Forum young footballers have a chance to communicate with their peers from other countries as well as famous athletes and cultural figures. At the end of the Forum the participants traditionally visit the UEFA Champions League Final.

Gazprom is a global energy company. Its major business lines are geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and sales of gas, gas condensate and oil, sales of gas as a vehicle fuel as well as generation and marketing of heat and electric power.

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