Udinese the first club to apply UEFA Manual for sustainability

Udinese the first club to apply UEFA Manual for sustainability Earlier this week, Udinese launched the ‘Play for Sustainability – Our Planet, a new annual initiative designed to integrate measurable sustainability actions into the delivery of a Serie A matchday. The initiative was unveiled at a press conference at the Bluenergy Stadium with representatives from UEFA, Lega Serie A, FIGC, and the Italian Ministry of Environment and will formally begin this weekend with Udinese’s home Serie A fixture against Cagliari on Saturday, September 19. Launched by UEFA and European Leagues in June 2026, the Football Event Sustainability Manual offers clubs, leagues and national associations practical guidance on integrating environmental and social responsibility throughout the entire lifecycle of football events, from planning and delivery to post-event evaluation. Udinese will become the first club to apply the Manual as the framework for a dedicated league fixture. “Play for Sustainability reflects how we believe a football club can create impact beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch,” said Udinese director Magda Pozzo. “This is not about presenting one match as the solution, but about creating an annual commitment where we can test concrete actions, measure what works and continue to improve year after year. Working with UEFA and applying the Football Event Sustainability Manual gives us an important framework to turn that ambition into practical action. I have also been inspired by our participation in the European Football Clubs (EFC) Sustainability Working Group and the discussions that have taken place in the forum. FIGC President Giovanni Malagò noted that “Once again, Udinese has proven itself to be a pioneering and boldly innovative club, unique within Italian football. CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 5: Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, speaks during the mural inauguration ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at the Cortina Paralympic Village on March 05, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images for IPC) “The Pozzo family deserves great credit for being the first to invest so significantly in environmental and financial sustainability. Your home is a jewel and a symbol of modernity. Today marks a new chapter in an already exemplary journey. I am convinced that this latest step forward will soon become essential for many others, who will once again look to you as a model.” Lega Serie A President Ezio Maria Simonelli added: “I would like to congratulate the Pozzo family and Udinese Calcio for this excellent and important initiative, which clearly demonstrates how a matchday can become an opportunity to promote and implement sustainable practices, measure their impact, and work towards improving them over time. epa11683268 Udinese�s supporters cheer during the Italian Serie A soccer match Udinese Calcio vs Cagliari Calcio at the Friuli – Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, 25 October 2024. EPA-EFE/GABRIELE MENIS “This is an approach that we fully support and that Lega Serie A itself has been pursuing since 2024 through the ‘Road to Zero’ project during the Coppa Italia Final. We hope that Udinese’s example will be followed by many other clubs, because sustainability is a challenge that football must address together through concrete and increasingly ambitious actions that engage the entire community, as has been done in this case.” Sustainability has become an increasingly central element of Udinese’s long-term development strategy. In the 2023 Brand Finance Football Sustainability Perceptions Index, which measured perceptions across environmental, social and governance criteria, the club ranked first in Italy and fourth among clubs from Europe’s five major leagues.