Professional football foundations discuss artificial intelligence, responsible financing and best sustainability practices

FUNDACIÓN LALIGA and the Real Betis Balompié Foundation have jointly organised the 16th Summit for the Foundations of Professional Football Clubs in Seville, where almost all the LALIGA club foundations came together to discuss various topics of great interest within the scope of foundations, particularly in terms of social, sustainable and charitable actions.

The main subjects of this edition were artificial intelligence and its impact on the football industry, good sustainability practices regarding the use of water, responsible financing, strategic alliances and the financial resources necessary to promote initiatives in a robust and sustainable manner.

The summit began on Tuesday with a guided tour of the Estadio Benito Villamarín, with a visit to its most symbolic spots, such as its museum, changing rooms and the pitch. The tour ended at the Luis del Sol Training Centre, where the guests enjoyed a cocktail, which was attended by Rafael Gordillo, president of the Real Betis Balompié Foundation: “It's an honour for us to host this summit, which allows us to share experiences, projects and good practices in the field of social responsibility. We, at the Real Betis Balompié Foundation, are committed to contributing to the sustainable development of our environment, through educational, cultural, sporting and charitable initiatives, that promote the values of sport and beticismo. We would like to thank FUNDACIÓN LALIGA for their support and coordination in making this event possible, which we hope will be a success and an opportunity for shared learning”.

Wednesday's event, held at the newly opened 'Rafael Gordillo' Training Centre, began with a welcome address from Clemente Villaverde and Olga de la Fuente, president and director of the FUNDACIÓN LALIGA respectively, and Rafael Muela, general manager of the Real Betis Balompié Foundation.

The three highlighted the important opportunity that this event represents for "those of us who form part of these organisations to share our experiences, needs and problems, and to seek the tools that will help us move forward, fostering greater cooperation in a relaxed, inclusive and collaborative atmosphere".

The summit continued with roundtables scheduled as part of the day's programme, the first of which dealt with artificial intelligence and its impact on football foundations, and was led by Miguel Moya, consultant specialising in Storytelling, AI, Videomarketing and Business Strategy: Mayte Pinto, Founder and CEO of Yucanna and expert in Business, Marketing & Branding; and Xavi González, consultant on artificial intelligence for the third sector.

This was followed by an exhibition and guided tour of the 'Rafael Gordillo' Training Centre by Miguel Ángel Pineda, Project Designer and Site Manager, who gave an analysis of the sustainability elements, as well as an exhibition of measures to reduce the use of water in the facilities.

Meanwhile, former player Vicky Conde presented the game she has created under the name FIX IT! It's an innovative and educational card game that promotes dialogue and debate on social and sporting issues and values.

In the second half of the day, the topic of responsible financing, alliances and financial resources was discussed by Guillermo Ricarte, General Director of the Ship2B Foundation; and Pablo Esteban, Deputy Director General of Spainsif (Spanish Sustainable Investment Forum).

Finally, to conclude this annual event, the naturalist, writer and professional explorer Nacho Dean shared his vision of the importance of caring for the environment and promoting sustainability. He also recounted his experiences as the first Spaniard to circumnavigate the world on foot, covering 33 countries and four continents over three years. His project, called "Expedición Nemo", aims to raise awareness for the need to protect the oceans and marine biodiversity.

These meetings started being held in 2004 and, since then, they have been staged in various places and venues. Each of them has shared a clear objective: to provide a meeting place to exchange experiences among attendees, promote collaboration between clubs/foundations, achieve joint learning, and address the needs and challenges that are currently being tackled in professional football. This year's edition has been developed within the framework of the 'More than Football' project, launched by the European Football for Development Network (EFDN).