January 16 2007
Chapuisat the latest FIFA/SOS ambassador
16/01/2006 - Former Swiss international Stephane Chapuisat sealed his commitment to SOS Children's Villages, by becoming a FIFA/SOS ambassador at a New Year's cocktail reception hosted by FIFA President Blatter last week.
Chapuisat, considered one of Switzerland's best footballers of all time, received his "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassador certificate from FIFA President Josef S. Blatter and Christine Leimgruber, the Executive Director of SOS Children's Villages in Switzerland.
"There are so many children in the world who grow up without a family. Therefore, I am happy to support this initiative," Chapuisat told some 200 guests at FIFA's traditional New Year's cocktail reception in Zürich. "Football is a wonderful game, and this game must show solidarity with the weakest in the world."
Chapuisat is the latest in a long list of current and former football greats serving as a goodwill ambassador for the "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" partnership. FIFA has financially supported the children's organisation since 1995, and has helped draw the attention of worldwide football audiences to the plight of the world's abandoned and neglected children. In 2006, FIFA and SOS Children's Villages completed the highly successful two-year project "6 villages for 2006 - Official Charity Campaign of the 2006 FIFA World CupTM", which raised more than € 25 million in donations.
Other players involved in the FIFA/SOS ambassador programme include Chapuisat's compatriot Kubilay Türkyilmaz, who joined the FIFA/SOS ambassador programme in 2001, as well FIFA World Player of the Year 2006 Fabio Cannavaro, Andriy Shevchenko, Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Dunga.