August 14 – UEFA made a powerful statement ahead of the kick off to the European Super Cup final between PSG and Tottenham, unfurling a giant pitch banner with the message ‘Stop killing children, stop killing civilians’.
While no country was named there was little doubt that it was aimed at Israel for its ongoing conflict with Palestine.
The message was reinforced at the medals ceremony where alongside UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin were two Gazan refugees – 12-year-old Tala and 9-year-old Mohamed.
Tala was transferred to Milan to receive appropriate medical care, as the adequate equipment was lacking in Gaza after the start of the war. Mohamed lost both his parents and was severely injured in an air strike. He and his grandmother were fortunate enough to leave Gaza and were welcomed in Milan, where Mohamed is currently undergoing medical treatment.
Nine children who are refugees in Italy from different conflict zones (Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Palestine and Ukraine) also participated in the opening ceremony during the teams’ line-up.
The children are involved with one of the UEFA Foundation for Children partners, Inter Campus, a project active in social integration among differing ethnic groups and cultures.
While FIFA has aggressively and mercilessly banished any talk of Israeli wrongdoing in football during the whole of FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s regime, it has also maintained a stone-cold silence over Israel’s military destruction of Gaza.
Only the Asian Football Confederation has called for immediate action on the issues, before the May FIFA Congress in Paraguay. Other confederations have been conspicuous by their silence. Until UEFA’s humanitarian statement yesterday evening in Udinese.
UEFA’s banner comes after the war in Gaza made its way into UEFA communications last weekend when condolences were offered following the death of former Palestine national team player Suleiman Al-Obeid following an Israeli attack.
Liverpool and Egypt player Mohamed Salah responded on social media: ‘Can you tell us how he died, where and why?’
UEFA have now shown they can go one better.
Israel are a UEFA nation and will play at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine themselves on October 14 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Italy.
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