Five inspiring clubs win at the ECA Awards 2021

FC Bayern München won the first ever ECA Chairman’s Award in recognition of their exceptional leadership and commitment to European club football in 2021. The club’s successes not only came from their actions off the pitch, but also the performances on the pitch with the Bavarian outfit winning both the men’s and women’s Bundesliga titles in the 2020/21 season.

FC Bayern München Director & ECA Vice-Chairman, Michael Gerlinger, commented upon receiving the Award on behalf of the club:

“It fills us with pride to be the inaugural winners of this important award. For FC Bayern this is a great recognition, but also an incentive to continue and promote close cooperation between European clubs in the future. Everyone knows the significance of ECA in our club. For that reason, we will not rest on the successful development of the Association but will continue to be strongly involved and live up to our leading role.”

Malmö FF wins the ECA Social Impact Award 2021

Malmö FF won the ECA Social Impact Award for their ‘Equal Value for All’ project, a human rights movement across the schools of Malmö, aiming at tackling racial discrimination through workshops, conferences, and football tournaments for children.

Tackling an important social issue head-on through this initiative, now in its eleventh year, demonstrates the commitment of the club to ridding the game of racism. The project is an example of an exemplary collaboration between the club and local authorities in utilising the power of football to initiate discussions on human rights topics.

Sporting Clube de Portugal wins the ECA Youth Football Award 2021

Sporting Clube de Portugal won the ECA Youth Football Award for their ‘Player-Centred Model’ – the academy’s vision for player development. The project focuses on developing players through a multidisciplinary approach of innovation and integration across all technical, tactical, scientific, and technological areas, along with a strong educational programme to support and incentivise academy players.

This revolutionary and brave approach to youth development began by honestly reviewing the faults of their previous results-driven strategy. Their renewed focus on players delivered immediate success, with eleven players from the academy making up the squad that won the Portuguese league last season for the first time in nineteen years.

Club Brugge wins the ECA Women’s Football Award 2021

Club Brugge won the ECA Women’s Football Award for the creation of ‘Club YLA’, a new brand and visual identity dedicated solely to their women’s team. Club YLA is named after the legendary Club Brugge fan, Yvonne Lahousse, also known as ‘The Mother of the Kop’, who inspired the new approach.

By giving the women’s team a distinct and modern new identity, centred around a particular and local historical link to strong women in Club Brugge’s history, the club uses the platform to promote the importance of equality in today’s society. The fresh lifestyle brand and merchandising line developed by the club especially connects with the younger girls across the community and new potential sponsors.

PSV Eindhoven wins the ECA Corporate Partnership Award 2021

PSV Eindhoven won the ECA Corporate Partnership Award for their premium partnership with ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’, Brainport Eindhoven. The partnership is a strategic collaboration of internationally acclaimed companies in the region, who share the ambition to put the Eindhoven on the map.

This innovative sponsorship is deeply rooted in the DNA of PSV Eindhoven and shows how rightsholders can adjust a traditional sponsor concept to a more forward-thinking collaboration, enabling more partners to participate. By securing a long-term partnership with a group of companies rooted in the local area, PSV Eindhoven have safeguarded their own commercial future and, more importantly, created a relationship that will deliver real benefit to their fans and local community.