UEFA's heart for child migrants

UEFA's beating humanitarian heart is coming to the fore again – this time in aid of children affected by the current migration crisis in Europe.

Meeting in St Julian's, Malta on Thursday, the UEFA Executive Committee gave the green light to a donation of €2m to the UEFA Foundation for Children, in order to help child migrants in Europe and beyond. The foundation is to cooperate with various partner organisations on several initiatives aimed at improving the lives of the children suffering amid the present movement of mass migration.

"There has been a human tragedy these last weeks with the plight of the migrants in Europe," said UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, "and football, and UEFA, has to act and do something. This [donation] is to try and help, in a concrete way, children who are living through very sad days.

"[This continent] has faced a real humanitarian drama, and we think that football can help. Specific projects will be communicated in due course. We hope that we can help the lives of children with this gesture, and that football can contribute to giving hope and joy to them."

The foundation was launched on the initiative of UEFA President Michel Platini in April, and its objective is to help children through sport and especially football – by providing support primarily in the areas of health, education, access to sport, personal development, integration and defending the rights of the child.

Mr Infantino welcomed the appointment of former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme as chief investigator of the two-chamber Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), which monitors compliance with UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations. Mr Leterme, who succeeds another Belgian, the late Jean-Luc Dehaene, will head the CFCB's investigatory chamber.

"With Mr Leterme, UEFA has certainly found a capable man who was Prime Minister of Belgium, a lawyer, an economist, a man of experience; a man who knows and loves football as well," he said.

"We think that with [Mr Leterme], we can continue the work started by Mr Dehaene, in order to monitor the finances of clubs, to deal with settlement agreements, and to make sure that European football can continue growing in a sustainable way for the future as well."

Mr Leterme serves as secretary general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), as well as deputy general secretary of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He was Belgian Prime Minister on two occasions, from March to December 2008, and again from November 2009 to December 2011, and served as minister of foreign affairs in 2009.

The Executive Committee heard a positive update on preparations for UEFA EURO 2016 in France next summer. "Everything is going very smoothly," said Mr Infantino. "We have an excellent relationship with the French Football Federation and the French authorities, and we are very much looking forward to a great event."

This week, UEFA and its 54 member associations have been in Malta for one of their regular gatherings to discuss European football issues. "I think that over the years," Mr Infantino reflected, "we have managed to create a very positive climate, where everyone is included in the decision-making and everyone has their say, large or small, east or west. All voices are heard."