Luke Chadwick on why FFF wants to become the world’s biggest children's football coaching organisation

Welcome to this week’s World Football Summit newsletter, your insider's guide to the latest?thoughts?and practises from within the football industry. Today we focus on?player care, children and mental health. In an?exclusive interview?with WFS Digest, former Manchester United player?Luke Chadwick?explains why he decided to join Football Fun Factory and embrace a new perspective on what?coaching?can be like in a world full of unrealistic expectations, where only a few?teenagers?make it to the big stage. Chadwick also explains the reasons behind his decision to speak out about the mental struggles he endured during his professional career, mainly due to cruel?criticism?from journalists and football pundits.

Player care is a?core value?to be addressed within our ‘Purpose, Sports Integrity and Ethics’ debates at?World Football Summit Europe?later this year. Months before our flagship event, Seville will hold our?Football Innovation Forum on 18 May, the same day that the UEFA Europa League final will take place in the Andalusian capital.?Check the current?list?of attendees to this invite-only event about technology, disruption and innovation.?

We can’t forget about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, and we have now sent our first donations to the country through Common Goal. As usual, we’ve?curated?for you some of the most interesting articles from this past week, including a?new report?published by the?European Clubs Association (ECA) on youth academies’ best practises.

In case you like our proposal, feel free to?forward?or share our newsletter with your friends through whatever channel you like!

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‘99% of kids who play football get dropped along the way, and we need to take care of them’

Like so many former footballers,?ex-Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick?struggled to find his place in the world after retiring in 2016. He felt that someone should break the?taboo?of football players who experience serious mental ailments and never disclose their true experience, and decided to join?Football Fun Factory, an organisation that aims to be “on the doorstep of the children across the United Kingdom, creating fun football?opportunities?for everyone.”?

Some time later, during the?pandemic, he talked openly about how his own mental health suffered during his years as a player because of?bullying?in the media. “There is a lot of talk now about player care, which is always good, but in my eyes there’s not?enough action,” he explains during a conversation with WFS Digest.

Continue reading the interview...

FIF: innovation in Seville before UEFA Europa League’s final

Are you interested in discovering what the?future holds in store for the football industry?

Top?innovation?leaders from FIFA, UEFA, LaLiga and major clubs are participating in our Football Innovation Forum, which will take place in Seville the morning of?18 May. The sport’s main stakeholders will share?insights?and help you to remain?relevant?in this highly disruptive?environment. The current list of participants can be accessed?here. You are still in time to join us by registering your interest.

World Football Summit donation campaign for Ukraine

WFS is donating 10% of all ticketing sales to local NGOs and charity projects working with refugees within Ukrainian territory, via our partnership with Common Goal and the first donations have already been sent this week.

This decision will not affect our current?ticketing?value and the effort will be continued until the end of our ticketing sales period for?WFS Europe, our flagship event, which will take place in Seville on September 28-29th. You can buy your tickets here.

Each week, WFS Digest brings you the best reads from the best journalists and media outlets covering the football business from around the world.?

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