COMMON GOAL FOR ONLY 1%

Thanks to John Hargreaves (I told you I would get your name plastered all over social media) for bringing to my attention the Guardian article on Juan Mata's "Common Goal" Charity which is raising money for "high impact football" charities by asking footballers to contribute 1% of their salaries.
https://www.facebook.com/CommonGoalOrg
At 5'7", Mata is diminutive, but he has big ideas.

JH and I saw this campaign promoted recently when we visited the National Football Museum in Manchester. Photographs from Mumbai, making a point about the power of football and its value to young children, provided an inspiring gallery opened by Mata and his girlfriend.

There are 35 footballers from 17 countries volunteering their salary % along with three from England; Alfie Mawson of Swansea, Charlie Daniels of Bournemouth and Duncan Whatmore from Sunderland have "signed up" to this initiative.
Kasper Schmeichel, Mats Hummels, Giorgio Chiellini and from the ladies game, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, are some of those committed to the cause. Dennis Aogo, from Stuttgart, has donated 2%! Mata at £140,000 a week will donate £72,000 pa.

Other football linked people include Julian Nagelsmann for 30 years the coach at Hoffenheim, along with other game administrators who can boost the numbers supporting the cause.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11096/11186604/jean-sseninde-interview-common-goals-first-african-player-to-sign-up

Jurgen Griesbeck, founder of Street Football World is backing Common Goal Initiative-he says this need not be "voluntary"; why not just take 1% from all our well paid super stars? Targets for the collected money include refugee integration in Germany and gender equality in India.

The aim eventually is to gather together other football charities under one umbrella; already hooked are Brighton and Hove-Albion in the Community and Fotbal pro Rozvoj helping youngsters in the Czech Republic.

Juan Mata realises how lucky he is to be earning the money that he does, doing what he likes to do! From a 10 year old with Oviedo, he was at the Real Madrid academy at 15 years old in 2003 and then Valencia, Chelsea in 2011 and Man Utd in 2014. His career with the Spanish national team started in 2009 with 41 caps and 10 goals. he has won the Champions League v Bayern at their home in 2012 (remember the penalties). It was Mata's cross that found Drogba who scored to level the final. Looking a round at the end of the game, Mata noted the many nationalities playing for foreign clubs in a Global final. He thought this needed to be exploited.

Winning the World Cup with Spain, in 2012, in South Africa, also made him think hard about footballers social responsibilities.

The Common Goal emblem.