European Leagues showcases support for European Week of Sport

 

The European Leagues Association will again lend its support to the European Week of Sport for its tenth birthday, which kicked off on September 23 and runs until the end of the month.

Originally launched in 2015 by the European Commission, the campaign has grown into a fixture on the continent’s sporting calendar. Under the familiar #BeActive slogan, the initiative urges people to weave exercise into daily life – not just for fitness, but to boost mental health, community ties and resilience.

An important message for a society increasingly glued to their phones, with statistics provided by the European Parliament in 2025 stating that over 17% of the EU population aged 16 and over is in the obese category, with 51% classified as overweight.

For European Leagues, which represents professional competitions in 20 EU countries, the link-up is about showing football’s reach off the pitch. Leagues will use their platforms and networks to back projects ranging from school sessions to grassroots football events, aiming to connect the professional game with everyday activity.

This year’s edition also marks a milestone: a decade since the Week of Sport was first staged. What started as a small-scale EU initiative is now spread across hundreds of events in dozens of cities across the continent.

For football to join the event yet again, it fashions another chance to underline that its impact stretches well beyond stadium gates.