Louzán sees the Refugee Team in Bilbao

The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rafael Louzán, met this Tuesday with the Spanish Refugee Team, who are in Bilbao playing a match in the Fan Festival area organised by UEFA on the eve of the Europa League final.

Louzán wished to support the initiative, highlighting the importance of offering and promoting this integration project, particularly in a city all decked out for a football event of the magnitude that will take place today, Wednesday, at San Mamés. He emphasised that “there are tasks in life that are truly rewarding, and this is one of them – to be able to meet young people who have already spent time in Spain and are here sharing the experience of living through a Europa League final.”

Alongside the president of the RFEF was UEFA ambassador for the Europa League and former Spain international, Aritz Aduriz, who underlined “the importance that football has as a passion in our lives, but at the same time how fundamental it is for people who have had to flee wars and other very difficult situations – becoming a true lifeline, allowing them to escape and start over.”

In this context, the captain of the Refugee Team, Ebrahim Pishtaz, shared that “football is a tool that allows us to enjoy ourselves and connect with others, making life sweeter.”

The match, held on Tuesday at the Fan Festival in Bilbao, was organised by UEFA in collaboration with UNHCR and the RFEF. The initiative forms part of the inclusivity actions and plans organised by these three entities to mark the grand final that Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will play on the pitch at San Mamés stadium.