Giorgio Chiellini joins Juan Mata in donating 1% of his salary to charity

Giorgio Chiellini has become the latest player to sign up to Juan Mata’s initiative for footballers to donate one per cent of their wages to charity.

The feted Italian international and Juventus defender emailed the organisation out-of-the-blue asking where he could join. “I’m interested to support your program (sic) and I would like to give my congratulations to Juan Mata for finding the time and having the idea to support through football people less luck than us,” Chiellini wrote in his email after registering for the organisation’s newsletter.

“I’m not interested in advertising. I want only to support a brilliant project. Sorry for my English, I try to make the best as possible! I wait for your answer about complete the registration.”

Chiellini was then contacted via Skype and has now formally joined Mata, Bayern Munich’s Mats Hummels and Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, two members of the World Cup-winning USA women’s team of 2015, to make a career pledge to “Common Goal” which supports global football initiatives for disadvantaged children.

“By joining Common Goal, I hope I can encourage the younger generation of players to think about social responsibility in their lives,” Chiellini, 33, and with a glittering career for club and country, said. “As professional footballers, we are in a fortunate position compared to much in society. I think it’s important we keep this in mind and try and support those less lucky than us where we can.”

Juan Mata
Juan Mata is a trailblazing footballer

Chiellini has an outstanding record in supporting charities in Italy and added: “This isn’t really about my pledge to Common Goal. This is about all of us footballers giving back as a team. Individually our pledges might not change the world. But together we can make a real difference.”

Mata, who wants to create a ‘Common Goal first XI’ with all players then hopefully, eventually, pledging their involvement, said: “Giorgio is a true leader both on and off the pitch and I am deeply humbled to welcome him to the Common Goal team. With a role model like him on-board, I have no doubt many younger players will follow.”

The project is overseen by streetfootballworld, a group of more than 120 local charities, and Common Goal’s founder Jurgen Griesbeck said Chiellini’s involvement marked a significant shift with players now actively asking to be involved although the organisation is still waiting for British involvement.

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