Football’s impact beyond the game: UEFA Respect Forum 2025 in Zurich
Monday, May 12, 2025
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The European football ecosystem came together at the UEFA Respect Forum to celebrate and advance football’s impact beyond the game.
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Held at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, Switzerland – one of the venues for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 – the second edition of the Forum focused on the powerful connection between football and sustainability. It was designed to inspire, activate and accelerate collective action across the European game to advance social and environmental sustainability in all its dimensions.
Highlighting UEFA’s strategic approach to sustainability, the Respect Forum brought together more than 250 key stakeholders from national associations, clubs, partners, leagues, players and other actors in and beyond football, reflecting an increasingly broad and diverse community united by a shared purpose. Together, they explored innovative solutions to reduce risks, build resilience and create value.
'Anticipate and lead'
In his opening address, Michele Uva, director of UEFA’s social and environmental sustainability division, encouraged attendees not just to react to sustainability trends but to "anticipate and lead" them, being the drivers of change.
He stressed the need to embed sustainability in football’s DNA and to generate concrete impact through shared ownership of a common goal, with the Respect Forum playing a role in inspiring and spreading awareness across the football ecosystem. Dominique Blanc, the president of the Swiss Football Association, and Claudius Schäfer, the president of European Leagues and CEO of the Swiss Football League, also gave opening speeches.
Uva's call to action on the importance of transformation in sustainability was echoed by Cristina Saccà, consumer marketing and sponsorship Europe senior vice-president at Mastercard, and UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister, who emphasised UEFA’s long-term strategic investment in sustainability from 2021 to 2030. Both noted that commercial partners are increasingly interested in collaborating around "mutual values", highlighting sustainability’s growing strategic relevance.
A panel discussion featuring Ellen Jones, Formula 1’s head of ESG, and Annie Horn, director of social responsibility and sustainability NBA, alongside Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu of UN Climate Change and UEFA’s head of social and environmental sustainability, Filippo Veglio, explored how to make sustainability tangible through real-world examples.
"Sustainability is about concrete action," said Veglio. "It is now part of the club licensing requirements, with strategies defined for each competition. Sustainability is part of our culture, embedded in our regulations and event lifecycles."
To give the Respect Forum an interactive aspect and to amplify opportunities for practical exchange, participants were divided into 17 groups, each tackling a specific area of sustainability. Their mission: to unpack key challenges and return with concrete solutions, reinforcing the forum’s core themes of creating impact beyond the game, balancing ambition with practicality and driving collaborative co-creation.
Each group was guided by a dedicated 'coach', responsible for chairing discussions and reporting back to the wider forum. The resulting feedback spanned a range of critical issues, including child and youth protection, data and reporting, accessibility, anti-discrimination and climate action.
Advocating for a unified approach
On the second day, participants heard from Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy and author of a high-level report on the future of the European single market, who emphasised the power of football to influence wider society. He called for a unified, pan-European approach and described football as a vital "message multiplier" for tackling pressing sustainability challenges.
"There are no shortcuts in football," Letta said. "If you’re not investing, you won’t have results. Football needs discipline but it’s also about creativity. Football has to be the engine of your national organisations and at a European level."
Football needs discipline but it’s also about creativity. Football has to be the engine of your national organisations and at a European level.
Examples of this mindset in action were shared by leaders across the European football landscape in a session titled 'Beyond the 90 Minutes: Embedding Sustainability in Football'. Rocío Torres (Atlético de Madrid), Denise Heinemann (FC Bayern München), Will Hutton (Premier League), Rǎzvan Burleanu (Romanian FA) and Charlie Marshall (European Club Association) all offered insights into how clubs, leagues and associations are embedding sustainability into their operations.
Heinemann urged participants to think proactively: "Ask yourself what you can do for your football club. Sustainability is part of a club’s identity and central to dialogue with fans. How can football be a role model?"
Spreading the message of social sustainability
The forum revisited UEFA’s FootbALL programme, which unites and promotes social initiatives across European football. Grounded in UEFA’s Strength Through Unity sustainability strategy, the campaign is built on seven key social sustainability policies that provide a framework for action.
Looking ahead, a new digital FootbALL platform was announced, designed to become a central hub for sharing information and engagement on social sustainability in both app and web form. The platform will be piloted and refined before a full launch to the European football community in October 2025.
The Respect Forum also presented the 2025 FootbALL awards, recognising outstanding contributions to social sustainability. Honourees included the Ukrainian Football Association, Liverpool FC, Everton FC, the Premier League and former player and politician Carolina Morace.
Leveraging Women's EURO 2025
To close the Respect Forum, a panel discussion focused on the biggest football event of the year: UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland.
Tournament ambassador Lara Dickenmann and Regula Schweizer, project lead for host city Zurich, were joined by Dr Jennifer Cords, executive board member for corporate affairs at tournament partner Lidl, and Paul Elliott, a member of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Human Rights Advisory Board.
The panel examined how the tournament is aiming to build on the momentum of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 in England, not only in terms of engagement and quality, but also sustainability. They agreed the event represents a major opportunity to accelerate the growth of the women’s game, with interest and support continuing to rise.
Elliott emphasised the unifying power of football, describing it as "the glue to bring us all together" and a tool for advancing equity and breaking down social barriers. Dickenmann highlighted the potential to inspire a new generation.
"I used to look up to male players when I was young, but girls looking up to women is a different kind of representation – and it’s really important."
The next edition of the UEFA Respect Forum will take place in 2027.